Rolling Meadows junior Mike Viken clears the crossbar
Saturday during the pole vaulting meet at Rolling Meadows. He went a
school-record 16-6 to take first.
(Jerry Daliege/for Pioneer Press)
(Jerry Daliege/for Pioneer Press)
Mick Viken was the first.
The Rolling Meadows junior on Saturday cleared 16-feet-6, higher than any Mustangs pole vaulter -- indoor or outdoor.
That effort at the Windy City Pole Vault Summit in the Meadows fieldhouse captured the title for the second consecutive year. Viken beat defending Class AA state outdoor champion Mitchell Erickson of Marian Catholic, who finished second at 16-0.
After registering a 15-6 vault last year, Viken broke his own school indoor record of 16-0 on his third attempt Saturday. His brother Dave owned the previous indoor mark, which Mick beat at last year's Prep Top Times meet.
Western Illinois freshman Andy Ryan had set Meadows' outdoor school record of 16-3 during last year's State Meet, where he placed third behind Erickson (16-9) and Lincoln-Way East's Joe Noonan (16-6).
For his record-breaking performance, Viken used a Plainfield Central competitor's pole.
"It was a great. Everything was clicking," Viken said.
"During the indoor season, I've struggled between poles. I borrowed Josh Winder's pole; it's a heavier pole."
Viken came up just short of the Meadows fieldhouse record of 16-7, set by Winder's brother Jake three years ago at the summit. Viken missed all three of attempts at 16-9 1/4 on Saturday.
It will be worth the $300-400 after Mick gained bragging rights around the Viken house by soaring higher than brothers Dave and Don, who both medaled at State.
Viken qualified for the Junior Olympics in July in California for the second consecutive year. He warmed up for last year's event by vaulting a personal-best 16-2 3/4 at the Carlin-Nalley Invitational in Lisle, then tied that height at the J.O. to place third.
His next meet is the Urbana Invitational Saturday and he'll return to the Prep Top Times meet March 29 in Bloomington.
"This (record-setter) is a big boost for that meet. I'm going to use the same pole I just jumped on. We're going to buy it," Viken said.
With renewed confidence heading into the outdoor season, Viken has set his sights on the IHSA record of 17-0 1/2 by Edwardsville's Daren McDonough at the 1992 State Meet. The national high school mark of 18-2 1/4 was established by Eric Eshbach of Orangefield, Texas, in 1999.
"I feel the like progression I've made thus far indoors (has helped)," Viken said. "By May, I hope I'll be jumping on a bigger pole like today."
Viken, who also was 31st at the state diving meet as a sophomore, has decided to put all his effort into pole vaulting.
Last spring at the state track meet he sprained his right ankle in the preliminaries; he advanced to the finals but no-heighted. He came in ninth as a freshman.
Meadows senior James Shawley finished in 11th place at Saturday's Summit after going 13-3. It was his first competition since taking off a week to rest a back injury.