TRACK : Tully Says He Is Just Poles Apart From Reaching 19-6 Mark in the Pole Vault

As pole vaulter Mike Tully of Encino prepares for The Athletics Congress senior track championships in San Jose next week, his biggest worry isn’t so much his competition as it is his equipment.

The top three finishers in each event qualify in August for the World Championships in Rome, but the 1984 Olympic silver medalist in the isn’t too worried about making the team.

“If I jump 19 feet, I should be on the team,” Tully said matter of factly. “Unless three guys go berserk, a 19-foot vault should make it.”

Tully, 30, has cleared 19 feet in three of five outdoor meets this season, including a personal best of 19-1 1/2 at UC Irvine on Sunday. Yet he’s frustrated.

“I feel like I’m stuck in a 19-foot rut,” he said. “I feel like I’m ready to go 19-4, or 5, or 6, if I can just get the right poles.”

Tully’s frustration’s have risen as he’s climbed up the pole-vault ladder because of his size. At 6-3, 195, the UCLA graduate is huge for a vaulter.

Comparitively, world-record holder Sergei Bubka of the Soviet Union is 6-0, 176, and American record-holder Joe Dial is 5-8 1/2, 140.

“Most companies don’t have a lot of experience designing poles for a guy as big as me,” Tully said. “Most companies design poles for guys who weigh a lot less.”

Tully’s problems have been caused by the composition, length and thickness of the poles.

“The poles I use are larger, heavier and thicker than the one’s Bubka or Dial use,” Tully said. “The extra weight slows down your speed on the runway and you don’t have as much control on the runway either with a thicker pole.”

Help appears to be on the way, however, as Tully vaulted with new poles designed by UCS Spirit at Sunday’s meet.

“They felt good,” said Tully, who was ranked sixth in the world by Track and Field News in 1986. “They’re not perfect, but they’re an improvement.”

Using the new poles, Tully narrowly missed at 19-4 1/2.

“I came as close to clearing that height as you can and not making it,” he said. “I think I’m capable of jumping 19-5 or 19-6 on these new poles--possibly at the TAC meet.”

Golden child: A week after he placed third in the pole vault at the state track championships, Jeff La Monica of Poly High made a successful return to Sacramento’s Hughes Stadium for the Golden West Invitational last weekend.

La Monica, who had a personal-best 15-6 at the state championships, placed fifth in the decathlon at Golden West with 5,907 points; a personal best by 534 points.

“I’m happy with my performance,” said La Monica. “Six thousand points would have been great but 5,900 is good for me, considering the conditions.”

With temperatures reaching 102 degrees, La Monica scored 3,096 points during the first day of competition on Friday. He had marks of 11.55 seconds in the 100 meters, 21-5 in the long jump, 34-10 in the shotput, 5-8 in the high jump and 54.99 in the 400.

La Monica’s second-day marks were 17.18 in the 110-meter high hurdles, 104-6 in the discus, 14-0 in the pole vault, 178-10 in the javelin and 5:28.0 for 1,500 meters.

Darcy Arreola, who in May led Cal State Northridge to sixth place in the NCAA Division II championships with runner-up finishes in the 800 and 1,500 meters, will compete in The Athletic Congress meet in San Jose next week.

Arreola set CSUN freshmen records of 2:05.73 in the 800 and 4:16.79 in the 1,500 meters at the Division II championships in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The 1,500 time qualified Arreola for the TAC championships and the 1988 Olympic Trials as well.

Arreola will run in a 1,500 heat on June 25. Finals are June 27.