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<< Previous   of   Next >> Associated Press  (click to enlarge) Pole vaulter Brad Walker clears 19-93⁄4 during the Prefontaine Classic, in Eugene, Ore., last Sunday. Walker broke a 1999 American record of 19-91⁄4 held by Jeff Hartwig.   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Ex-Huskies Walker, Thurmond earn spots on U.S. Olympic track team 6/29/08 • UW alum leading pole vaulter at U.S. trials 6/28/08 • Ex-Husky Walker break U.S. pole vault record 6/8/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, June 12, 2008 Mountlake Terrace pole vaulter peaking at the right time Although University of Washington grad Brad Walker recently set the American pole vault record, he's not taking anything for granted as he prepares for the Olympic Trials. By John Sleeper Herald Columnist First, a little perspective on University of Washington grad Brad Walker's American-record 19-foot, 93/4-inch effort in the pole vault at Sunday's Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.: -- It was the highest vault by anyone, anywhere, in seven years. -- It was the fourth-highest vault in history. -- It was more than 3 inches higher then the gold medal-winning vaults of the past five Summer Olympics. -- It broke an 8-year-old record of 19-91/4 held by Jeff Hartwig, who competed at the same Prefontaine Classic on Sunday at age 40. -- It came 45 years to the day after UW vaulter Brian Sternberg cleared 16-8 at the Compton (Calif.) Relays and established a world record. So this was no small deal. And when you consider the Olympic Trials are set for the same Hayward Field in just three weeks, there's little question that Walker is peaking at exactly the right time. "It's going to mean some extra confidence," Walker said. "But it doesn't change things. It doesn't change the way that I'll compete. It's nice to know, but it doesn't add any security or anything going into the trials." Though just 26, Walker hasn't just burst on the scene. The Mountlake Terrace resident and current volunteer assistant UW vaulting coach is the defending outdoor world champion. He won the title in Osaka, Japan. He also won the 2006 world indoor championships in Moscow (even after he fell on his noggin during a practice run), an event in which he took the silver medal in Valencia, Spain, March 9. As a UW student, Walker won the NCAA indoor title twice and was a four-time NCAA All-American. In 2005, he was the NCAA indoor and outdoor national champion. Still, Sunday's American record has its own place in Walker's personal hit parade. "It's different in its own right," he said. "It's hard to compare (the record and the outdoor world championship). One's a mark and one's a gold medal. In a world championship or an Olympics, height matters, but only because it matters in what place you get. I'm not necessarily focused on jumping an American record in the world championship. I'm focused on winning the world championship. "I think each one invokes different emotions and they're hard to put one against the other because it's just a different experience." In Eugene -- after he'd clinched the victory and the American record -- Walker took two unsuccessful shots at Sergei Bubka's record of 20-13/4, set way back in 1985. Still, Walker says Bubka's mark is attainable. "It's definitely within reach," Walker said. "You can't put a time frame on it. I'd have to fix some things technically, but I think things are on track. This is another notch toward that step. I feel really confident that we can continue to climb higher and higher, given good conditions and good meets. Definitely, that's the goal." But for now, the Olympic Trials are first on the agenda. Freaky things happen. Hartwig was the premier U.S. jumper for years, yet didn't qualify for each of the past two Olympic Games. He is considered a longshot now. Therefore, Walker isn't taking anything for granted. "I'm not focused for the Olympics right yet," Walker said. "I'm focused on the Olympic Trials and that has to be my No. 1 area. Getting through that is going to be a pretty big deal." To Brad Walker, pretty big deals are pretty commonplace. Columnist John Sleeper: sleeper@heraldnet.com. To reach Sleeper's blog, "Dangling Participles," click on www.heraldnet.com/danglingparticiples.

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