North Central College pole vaulter Luke Winder and his father/coach Tim approach things a bit differently than most.
Luke Winder has appeared in four NCAA Division III meets in his first two seasons at NCC — two indoor and two outdoor — and has won the national title all four times.
The Winders did not just stand pat, however. As he prepares for another title this weekend when NCC hosts the indoor meet, Luke is stronger than ever.
“We look down the road,” Luke Winder said. “It’s always really important to stay focused on this objective, but if you want to be better, you have to push yourself and work on the things that may not make you better now, but will help down the road.”
That approach has the junior more dominant than he has ever been heading into nationals.
His qualifying height of 17 feet, 11 inches is not only more than a foot better than anyone in the field, it’s more than nine inches higher than any qualifying vault he has brought into a national meet. It’s only 2 1/4 inches off the national meet record, which he set last year.
“He’s on a five-meter pole, which is a big pole,” NCC coach Frank Gramarosso said. “He’s gripping high. His timing has to be right. That is a 16-foot, 5-inch pole. When all his timing gets together, that will really throw him.”
Winder’s evolution this season did not come without its share of difficulties, however. The timing it takes to execute vaults with a pole that large takes a while to iron out.
“I struggled with the new pole and my approach,” Winder said. “It wasn’t coming together too well. But now I’m running better and my technique is better. I think it’s going to be a really fun time.
“My first objective is to just compete and not worry about the hype and things like that.”
Everyone in the field knows the mark Winder posted this season and the hardware he already possesses. He’s doing his best to block that out.
“I’ve always lived by a phrase, ‘You can never count anyone out, but you can’t count yourself out,'” Winder said. “They’ll come out and compete with their heart, just like I will. I wish the best for them, but I am going to do my best.”
Winder enjoys the fact that the pole vault is the first event of the weekend at 10 a.m. Friday. That allows him to spend the rest of the weekend at Al B. Carius Track rooting for his teammates.
“We get to lay the groundwork for the rest of the team,” Winder said.
The 1,600 relay qualified third in the nation. The Cardinals also qualified in the distance medley relay. Junior Adam Poklop qualified in the high jump. Sophomore Dhruvil Patel will race both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters.
Junior Zach Hird also qualified in the 3,000 for NCC, and sophomore Nolan McKenna runs the 5,000. Senior Spencer LaHaye joins Winder in the pole vault.
“It’s a great set of guys,” Winder said. “We can’t control the outcome, but we know everyone will be there to compete with each other, so that will be a fun experience.”
In the women’s meet, senior Kayla Etherton qualified for the 20-pound weight throw.
Paul Johnson is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.
