Willi puts pole vault record, meet in his sights

Jaret Willi has already had a memorable career.

Now he hopes an adjustment in technique will lead to even better things during his final outdoor season as a member of the Southeast Missouri State University track and field team.

"I scooted the start of my run back a couple of strides after the indoor season," said Willi, whose team will begin the outdoor schedule Saturday at the Alabama Invitational. "It helps me use all of my speed and makes things easier. I wish I would have done it earlier."

A senior from DuQuoin, Ill., Willi is coming off an indoor season in which he won his fourth Ohio Valley Conference pole-vault title with an OVC indoor-meet record 16 feet 9 1/2 inches.

Willi also captured 2001 indoor and outdoor OVC titles in addition to an outdoor championship in 1999. He redshirted in 2000 because of injuries.

"Jaret has had quite a career," Southeast coach Joey Haines said. "It's really good to see a senior take it to another level."

Haines and Willi said that level can go even higher because of the recent adjustment. Willi has his sights on the school's outdoor record of 17-10 1/4, set by NCAA Division II national champion Bob Ferguson in 1987, and he is aiming for the Division I nationals.

"This should really help my speed and I'll be disappointed if I don't jump real well this spring," Willi said. "I've set several goals. Getting the outdoor record is one of them and making the NCAAs is the ultimate goal."

Haines said Willi has a shot at Ferguson's record, a height that would also qualify him for nationals. Willi might have actually broken Ferguson's indoor school mark of 16-10 during a meet at Notre Dame this year in which he was officially credited with a personal-best 16-9 3/4.

"There was some confusion when they were converting to meters," Haines said. "We're pretty sure he went 16-11. We've talked to them about looking into it and maybe changing it."

mmishow@semissourian.com

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