ATHLETE OF THE WEEK : 16, Going On 17 : Notre Dame’s Parker Holds High Hopes for a Season Held in Check by Injuries

It is difficult to find fault with pole vaulter Tom Parker’s season. However the 5-foot-9 1/2, 145-pound Notre Dame senior says he is behind schedule.

“I planned to be jumping over 17 feet by now,” said Parker, who cleared a personal best of 16 feet, 9 inches to win the Del Rey League title at St. John Bosco on Friday. “I’m still about a month behind where I should be because of the injuries.”

Parker, runner-up in last year’s state championships, missed several weeks of training because of injuries; he suffered a stress fracture in his right foot in January and sprained his right ankle in March.

As a result, he is neither as strong nor as fast as he would like, but in retrospect he views the injuries positively.

“It may have been a blessing in disguise,” Parker said. “I don’t think I’ll get burned out like I did last season. Last year, I peaked for meets like Arcadia and Mt. SAC. This year, I think I’m going to peak at the state meet.”

As Parker’s personal best has risen, college recruiters have intensified their interest in him. He has performed consistently, clearing 16 feet or higher in nine meets this season.

“Sometimes it’s a pain,” said Parker, who has narrowed his choices to UCLA, Kansas and Tennessee. “But I’ll probably miss it when it’s all over.”

Parker, who ranks second behind Hesperia’s Matt Warwick (17-0 3/4) on this year’s national high school list, said he can reach 17-8 by season’s end.

“I’m ready for a big one,” he said. “And I know it’s just a matter of time, of getting in the right meet under the right conditions.

“Seventeen feet is just another number to me, it’s not a big barrier like 16 was last year. It’s only three inches higher than I’ve jumped, so I should be able to clear it.”

Although Parker cleared 16-9 with several inches to spare it was far from a technically perfect jump.

“I made some mistakes up on top,” he said. “That’s why I think I can go higher. Once I smooth out some things, I’ll be able to jump a lot higher.”

Despite his success, Parker is wary of predicting the outcome of the state championships at Cerritos in June.

“I’ve got to get there first,” he said. “Each meet from now on is a step to the state meet. And you’ve got to take each step one at a time. If you miss a step, it’s over.”

Parker is not apt to stumble. Not if he stays healthy.