Photo: Zach Bradford and Aliyah Welter after their wins at the Windy City Pole Vault Summit (Mike Newman Photo)

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

There was no doubt that as soon as Zachery Bradford of Bloomington walked into the Rolling Meadows late Saturday afternoon that he would win the Boys title of the Windy City Pole Vault Summit for the second year in a row.

He did not have to be there. The senior had competed earlier in the day at the Charger Classic at the University of Illinois. The same could be said about the Girls winner Aliyah Welter of Monticello. Welter competed the night before at the Southern Illinois University Girls Invitational in Carbondale. She traveled from southern Illinois just to be at the meet.

“Neither of them had to be here,” said Rolling Meadows Athletic Director Jim Voyles. “We invited some kids that were in some similar situations as Bradford and Welter. They turned down the invitation. That’s what makes these two so different than the rest of the athletes in the state. They are examples of what makes them champions and great examples to the younger athletes in the state.”

Bradford only cleared three heights in Champaign in nine attempts. Then again, those heights were 16-6, 17-0, and 17-4. He had cleared 17-8 earlier in the season at the National Pole Vault Summit which ranks him third currently in the nation. That performance is the best clearance ever in this event by an Illinois athlete.

The name of the game for Bradford this weekend was getting himself ready for next weekend’s New Balance Indoor Nationals where he will be one of the favorites. He had moved up to a larger 16-1 pole. These two meets were to get himself used to it for the following week. Get that comfort level ready for when the moment arises.

Bradford entered the competition when all the other athletes in the meet had exhausted their attempts. The days activities showed on his attempts. He missed on his opening attempt at 16-6 but then nailed that height on his second try. That gave him the win ahead of Tommy Paprocki of Lake Park and Declan Ritzenthaler of Loyola Academy who both cleared 14-6. Bradford took three attempts and then his day was done. His long day. Those efforts will prove fruitful in futire meets.

The Girls competition came down to Welter and last year’s winner Lauren Seaver of Normal University. Both had cleared 11-6 with Seaver having the lead on fewer misses. The bar was raised to 11-9. The strategy began at this height as Welter decided to pass while Seaver took her attempts. They were good ones but none of the three tries were successful. That pressure moved to Welter as the bar was raised to 12-0. One her first attempt, she nailed it clearing the bar easily making her the champion of the event. The bar was raised to 12-6 where again she was successful tying her season best. She had cleared that height the night before in Carbondale.

Both Bradford and Welter exemplified the true character of a champion on Saturday afternoon in this meet. They are old school in a way traveling the way they did to compete. It will pay off for those two and for those that competed in Rolling Meadows on Saturday. Bradford had his eyes closed his head on his poles relaxing before he had to leave. Though he was tired after a long day, I’ll guess that he was up early Sunday morning looking to practice his craft.

That’s what champions do.