Bulls pole vaulter sets her goal high

By SCOTT PURKS

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 7, 2000

TAMPA -- There is a golden opportunity out there for Chelo Canino, and it is exactly 13 feet, 1/4 inch off the ground.

13-1/4

The number tantalizes her, teases her and makes her work harder because if she clears 13-1/4, she will be in the Olympic trials (July 14-23) in Sacramento, Calif.

"I really think I can do it," said Canino, whose best this year is 12-6.

"I've been clearing some good heights with a shorter pole and a short run in practice, so when I move up to a longer pole and make a longer run, I should be able to fly up there."

She has about a month to do it. And she certainly has some prime opportunities, including next week's Golden West Invitational in Sacramento, Calif. (includes the country's top eight vaulters 18 years and younger), the National Scholastic meet in North Carolina, USA Junior Nationals in Texas, World Juniors in Europe (if she finishes in the top two at USA Junior Nationals) and the Sunshine State Games.

"I think the tougher competition will help me raise my performance level," Canino said. "Maybe I can do something pretty special in one of those meets."

Relative to most prep track athletes, Canino, who just graduated from Bloomingdale, is already pretty special.

At the Class 4A state meet, Canino defended her title with a vault of 11-6. It was a whole foot less than her best height this season (ranked sixth in the country), but it got the job done.

Canino, however, was not all about the pole vault this season. In most regular-season meets, she competed in five events (vault, long jump, triple jump, 4x100 and 4x400) and failed to score in an event only once.

For these reasons, Canino, who has committed to Princeton, is the Times All-Hillsborough County Female Track Athlete of the Year.

"I'll miss competing in all those events and trying to help my team out," Canino said. "But I'm also looking forward to concentrating on the vault. Sometimes, it was like a three-ring circus out there running from one thing to another.

"I'd be right in the middle of the vault, and then I'd have to run over and long jump or triple jump. So it got distracting to my vaulting sometimes."

Right now, though, she is concentrating everything she has on the vault.

"I never get tired of vaulting," Canino said. "I could vault all day, every day. I am tired, however, of having 12-6 as my best vault. I am sick and tired of 12-6. I'm ready to go higher. I know I'm ready. I really think I can do it."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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