The Jammin’ and Jumpin’ Street Vault competition which draws athletes from all over the country—including former Olympians—returns Saturday to Audubon Mill Park.
The exhibition begins at 9 a.m. with youth, high school and college vaulters. Keith Hobson, who helps organize the event, said the bar will begin at a lower height at the beginning, gradually inching up throughout the day.
The Pro Elite competition begins at 7 p.m. Highlighting this piece of the day are several renowned athletes.
Scheduled to compete is Matt Ludwig, who went to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Ludwig had finished fourth in trials before the 2021 Olympics (the top three make the team), but when first-place qualifier Sam Kendricks tested positive for the coronavirus, Ludwig got a call, grabbed a flight and competed in Japan soon after.
Ludwig recently finished fifth in the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., in June, missing the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Ludwig vaulted 18 feet 9 ½ inches, finishing behind Kendricks who reached 19 feet 5 inches. Two others vaulted 19-3.
Austin Miller, another high-profile vaulter, will also be in Henderson Saturday. Miller also competed in the U.S. Olympic trials last month and finished eighth. He vaulted 18 feet 5 ¼ inches but has jumped more than 19 feet during his career, said Kevin Ferguson, who is the meet director for the Street Vault.
“We’re going to have some world-class vaulters here,” Ferguson said.
On the women’s side, Marissa Kalsey, with a personal best of 14 feet 9 inches, and Sydney Clute, with a PR of 14 feet 11 inches, will be top competitors.
“All these vaulters are coming in from different parts of the country,” Hobson said.
Hobson noted that as a USA Track and Field-sanctioned event, there is prize money for the top finishers in the Pro Elite portion, which includes $800 for first, $400 for second, $200 for third and $100 for fourth. Hobson said that money could go up depending upon the final tally brought in from advertisers for the event.
Aside from prize money, the funds raised help to run the Spottsville Monster Track Club, which is a training facility especially for pole vaulters. Ferguson said some of the funds will also go to the Henderson County High School Gentlemen’s Club and the HCHS track team.
Spottsville Monsters track Club, run by Ferguson and Hobson, draws athletes from all over the region, some as far as two hours away, Ferguson said.
He said the Spottsville Monsters training facility has about 20-25 athletes normally but has had up to 40 training at one time.
This will be the 15th street vault that has occurred in Henderson since 2007, Hobson said. From its start through 2019, it was held every year. Because of COVID, it didn’t run in 2020 or 2021, before coming back in 2022. It wasn’t held in 2023.
According to information provided by organizers, Jammin’ and Jumpin’ will include the following high-profile vaulters:
Matt Ludwig
2017 NCAA Outdoor Champion
2020 US Indoor Champion
2021 Tokyo Olympian
2023 Pan American Games Gold Medalist
Michael Carr
2014 Arkansas high school Champion
2018 Indoor Sunbelt Champion
2019 Outdoor All-American, placing 5th at NCAA nationals
2021 Olympic Team Trials Competitor
Nicholas Holmen
PR 5.55m
2015 NAIA national champion
Head Coach Webster University
Marissa Kalsey
2024 Olympic trials finalist
Personal best is 4.50m – 14 ft 9 in
DIII National Champion in 2017
Sydney Clute
PR is 4.55m (14’11’’)
Three-time All-American in college
Indiana University school record holder
Held the Big Ten conference record
Nine-time USATF National Qualifier
Jess Mercier
Eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships with a mark of 14 feet 5 ¼ inches
Qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials