Tommy Skipper Named GoDucks.com's Student-Athlete of the Week
Duck senior Tommy Skipper has been named GoDucks.com's Student-Athlete of the Week for the week of May 6th to May 12th.
Skipper continued his domination in the pole vault as the Coos Bay native won his third consecutive conference pole vault title in his first outdoor performance of the seasons.
Waiting for nearly two hours to open, the four-time NCAA champion passed until the bar went up to 17-2 3/4 (5.25m) and immediately made his first attempt, then passed the next bar - 17-6 1/2 (5.35m). “It took a lot of weight off my mind after I made that first one," Skipper said. "I’ve only been able to practice twice in the past two weeks, so I knew that might be the toughest one. I’ve been so nervous the past week, but once I got out here I felt calmer.”
Skipper then made his first attempt at 17-10 1/2 (5.35m), while Washington freshman Scott Roth needed two attempts to convert the same height, and UCLA senior Mike Landers and Stanford junior Graeme Hoste missed their attempts. At the final height contested - 18-2 1/2 (5.55m) - both Skipper and Roth missed their three tries.
“I want to thank God for his mercy that I was able to get healthy in two weeks and two practices before today,” Skipper said. “I felt pretty good overall considering. Coach told me I needed to focus on a couple things ? to stay tall, to push for two strides out from the box, and really use my upper hand on the pole so I could get a good 13- or 14-foot plant.”
In one of the conference’s premier events historically ? one that features several Olympic gold medalists - Skipper became only the second Pac-10 vaulter to win three conference pole vault titles and joined Cal’s Brent Burns who accomplished the feat in 1989, ’91 and ’92. Skipper won in 2004 as a freshman (18-3 1/4) and in ’06 as a junior (18-0 1/2).
“It seems like every time I’m hurt, that I learn a greater lesson from it down the road," Skipper said. “I’m going to concentrate everything I have from now on trying to build towards the Olympic Trials. I’m really looking forward to competing at home at Hayward Field again. The fans have been so great to me for so long, it's my turn to thank them again.”
