Climbing Higher : Servite’s Steve Williams Has Pole Vaulted 15-6, Now He’s Aiming for State Record--and Top of His Bedroom Door

A large poster that hangs on Steve Williams’ bedroom door in Fullerton serves as a chronology of his pole vaulting career.

The poster drapes to the floor where it is marked at 10-feet 6-inches, the mark Williams cleared as a freshman at Servite High School. It gradually climbs to 15-feet 6-inches, a height that Williams reached in a dual meet against St. John Bosco this season as a senior.

Fittingly, at the top of the door, is Williams’ ultimate goal--17-feet 1-inch.

Anthony Curran, a former star at Crespi High in Encino, is the only prep pole vaulter in CIF Southern Section history to clear the height. He did it in 1978.

“I don’t think 17-1 is unreachable,” Williams said. “I always enjoy coming home and filling in the poster when I’ve reached a new goal.”

But Williams’ testimony to his personal best doesn’t explain how he became the premier pole vaulter in Orange County. It doesn’t record the hours he spent working out in the weight room to increase his upper body strength or the countless wind sprints he has run to improve his entry speed.

There’s the time spent with his father, Bill, studying video tapes to correct or improve his vaulting techniques. There are the summer camps at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where Williams studied under some of the top collegiate coaches in Southern California.

“Steve has done a tremendous amount of work to become a top pole vaulter,” said Jamie Sandoval, Servite track coach. “He was working out the first day of school. He’s spent two hours a day in the weight room.

“It’s amazing to look back and see how far he’s come since last year. He’s done all the little things to become a champion.”

Williams, 18, became only the third track athlete from Servite to win a Southern Section championship last year when he cleared 14-6 to win the 3-A division title. But he also pulled a hamstring muscle in the title meet.

He qualified for the State meet at 14-8, but with the hamstring pull bothering him, managed to clear only 14-4 in the finals and finished ninth.

“Three weeks before the State meet, my best was only 14 feet, so I wasn’t disappointed considering I was coming back from an injury,” Williams said. “I think I was the first Servite athlete to qualify for the State meet.”

Nagging injuries have plagued Williams throughout his career. Last season, he landed in the runway at the Quartz Hill Invitational and strained his tailbone. He has competed with a sore shoulder this year, clearing 15 feet in three meets and then 15-6 against St. John Bosco.

Williams’ steady improvement can be attributed to increased speed and upper body strength. He ran a 5.6 in the 40-yard dash as a freshman and has improved to 4.9. He estimates his upper body strength has improved 25%, which allows him to use a 16-foot pole while most prep vaulters are using a 15-6 foot pole.

“I’ve worked on my own to improve my speed,” Williams said. “My basic problem when I first got to Servite was that I didn’t have any form. I’ve worked five days a week on sprints and running hills.”

Sandoval is predicting that Williams will clear 16 feet in the next two weeks.

“His potential this year is unlimited,” Sandoval said. “He really wants to do well in the State meet. He was physically worn out last year and had a hamstring pull.”

Williams said 16 feet is the magic number as far as luring a college scholarship offer. He has maintained a 3.2-grade-point average at Servite and plans to study business in college.

“I’ve been accepted at Colorado, Arizona, Cal Poly (SLO) and USC,” he said. “All the coaches I’ve talked to said to get over 16 feet, and then we’ll talk about financial aid. I’d really like to go to Stanford, but they haven’t notified me if I’ve been accepted.”

If Williams wins the State meet, he’ll become the second state champion in his family. His father won the Ohio State meet with a record height of 12-4 1/2 in 1957. His younger brother, Brad, established the freshman record at Servite with a jump of 11-6.

“My father got me started in the backyard when I was in fourth and fifth grade,” Williams said. “He wanted me to play baseball at Servite, but I decided to concentrate on track after my freshman season.”

Williams’ hard work has helped him to rise to new heights in track. Now, if he can only get a little closer to the top of his bedroom door, his collegiate career would be secure.