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It felt like the worst thing that could happen to Sam Paeth, more so mentally than physically.
Paeth's pole vault path precipitous.
Paeth knows he's consistent to get the job done following injury ordeal.
Paeth uses injury, failure to advance to regional to motivate.
Instead, a broken foot made the St. Joseph Central Catholic senior pole vaulter a star. He'd been so close, including two trips to state but the foot cost him most of his junior season.
He returned to just miss advancing to regional, with a fifth-place finish at district. After a frustrating stretch following the outdoor season, Paeth is establishing state records in Division IV.
High school baseball This 6-foot-4 Old Fort baseball player uses his tall frame to his advantage at the plate
Yes, it was the first season there was a fourth division for the outdoor state meet this year. Still, Paeth set the bar, at 16 feet.
"It has been the driving factor in my training since that happened," he said of injury and near miss. "I was so down and ready to give up; I flipped the switch in my mind and knew I could change it. Push myself — to a healthy extent, but still just as hard.
"Breaking my foot, it's not a highlight, but looking back it's a necessary evil. I couldn't be as good as I am not going through that."
Paeth's foot gave out in the final basketball game as a junior.
"Playing multiple sports, I overworked it," he said. "Overuse. It was a complete surprise. I thought it was just muscle pain to work through. I went to the doctor to prove to my parents I was good; it was broken and so was my toe. Too much basketball.
"It was a stress fracture in the navicular bone. The weekend before the indoor state meet. In a cast immediately. It was one of the hardest things I've gone through in high school. It was a huge letdown. I knew with the foot it was a huge disadvantage (at district) but it was still a huge bummer to not make it down (to state)."
It was far from a linear path for Paeth. It was often difficult.
"I kept pushing, I started to get a little strength and I signed up for summer meets," he said. "I wasn't seeing success and I was struggling. I went to a camp at Grand Valley State and worked through some things. Midway through the summer I was just kind of back.
"I was struggling and I didn't feel like I was getting better. I no heighted twice. The Grand Valley camp showed me how I could come back and tools to do so. I PRed twice in the summer and finished at 15-6."
Paeth learned how to adjust his jump in a classroom setting, among other things.
"I showed up in slides and they told me to wear tennis shoes for support," he said. "They motivated me. They got my mind right and got me to do extra. Nutrition, eat more healthy foods and drink more fluids. Using those tools and training as many places as I could, as much as I could."
He didn't insist on doing the things he'd always done and he listened to what he was told.
"Going to many coaches, in person and online," he said. "I don't do what I want to do. I let coaches who know more than me modify my jump and I don't question it off feel. I do it no matter how it feels. It's the right thing. My form gets better and my speed gets better and eventually I win."
He established a personal best during the indoor season at 15-4, 15-8 and finally 16 for the state crown.
"With the injury, no one was thinking Sam is going to come back and be something great," he said. "It was nice to prove to people — and myself — I could come back and do better. It gave me all the motivation I needed."
Paeth connected with Aquinas College coach Brian Bolton and former Grand Valley jumper Kristen Leland at the Grand Valley camp. He later connected with Grand Valley coach Lou Andreadis and will continue his career there, with Leland as an assistant.
"He saw something in me I didn't see in myself," he said. "14-6 was my best. He believed, I committed and I jumped 16. It's one of the most solid DII schools in the country. The pole vault program is notorious for good athletes.
"Leland was national champ. Implementing things in me from them will help me go higher and higher."
After he cleared 16, he set his sights on 17. Now, he'd like to clear 17-3 this season and 17-8.25 before he heads to Grand Valley.
"I like to set goals so I have to reach," he said. "(17-8.25) is solid at the DII level. I'd love to hit that one time before I go off to college. That's a very high goal."
He owns the school record as he cleared 15-6 at Hopewell-Loudon and 15 to win the Edison and Lakota invitationals.
"Breaking off rust," he said. "Shorter approach to get my legs back in and the bad weather. Just get the job done. I love that I can just be confident knowing I can be consistent. Every meet I've cleared 15, short run or long run. I can jump high in the rain, the cold; any condition.
"I'm consistent to get the job done. It makes me confident into later meets with harder competition."
Paeth was eighth at state as a sophomore, before competing at Adidas Nationals in North Carolina. He was second in the Sandusky Bay Conference River Division.
He didn't clear a bar at state as a freshman. He only competed in three meets as a junior.
"None of this would have been possible without my coach/dad (Mike)," he said. "He gave me the opportunities, got me the poles I need, directed me to coaches. He's the reason I've been able to compete where I have with who I have and learn from the people I have.
"My biggest 'thank you' goes to my dad."
Paeth learned from his ordeal to return to form and beyond.
"Sometimes steps back might lead to leaps forward," he said. "Without going through that I wouldn't be finding the level of success I am now. I would have been too comfortable, without the drive. I wanted to get back to where I was, but I almost skipped that.
"Every day, I excelled past where I was."
Without the setback, he likely would have been complacent. After all, he was trending toward four trips to Columbus.
"I wouldn't have had the motivation to seek so many other opinions," he said. "I would have been comfortable being a little better (than the previous season). I was so far behind, I had to push myself even more than I would have prior."
[email protected]
419-307-4892
X: @MatthewHornNH
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: St. Joseph Central Catholic OHSAA track
Continue reading...
Paeth's pole vault path precipitous.
Paeth knows he's consistent to get the job done following injury ordeal.
Paeth uses injury, failure to advance to regional to motivate.
Instead, a broken foot made the St. Joseph Central Catholic senior pole vaulter a star. He'd been so close, including two trips to state but the foot cost him most of his junior season.
He returned to just miss advancing to regional, with a fifth-place finish at district. After a frustrating stretch following the outdoor season, Paeth is establishing state records in Division IV.
High school baseball This 6-foot-4 Old Fort baseball player uses his tall frame to his advantage at the plate
Yes, it was the first season there was a fourth division for the outdoor state meet this year. Still, Paeth set the bar, at 16 feet.
"It has been the driving factor in my training since that happened," he said of injury and near miss. "I was so down and ready to give up; I flipped the switch in my mind and knew I could change it. Push myself — to a healthy extent, but still just as hard.
"Breaking my foot, it's not a highlight, but looking back it's a necessary evil. I couldn't be as good as I am not going through that."
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Paeth's foot gave out in the final basketball game as a junior.
"Playing multiple sports, I overworked it," he said. "Overuse. It was a complete surprise. I thought it was just muscle pain to work through. I went to the doctor to prove to my parents I was good; it was broken and so was my toe. Too much basketball.
"It was a stress fracture in the navicular bone. The weekend before the indoor state meet. In a cast immediately. It was one of the hardest things I've gone through in high school. It was a huge letdown. I knew with the foot it was a huge disadvantage (at district) but it was still a huge bummer to not make it down (to state)."
It was far from a linear path for Paeth. It was often difficult.
"I kept pushing, I started to get a little strength and I signed up for summer meets," he said. "I wasn't seeing success and I was struggling. I went to a camp at Grand Valley State and worked through some things. Midway through the summer I was just kind of back.
"I was struggling and I didn't feel like I was getting better. I no heighted twice. The Grand Valley camp showed me how I could come back and tools to do so. I PRed twice in the summer and finished at 15-6."
You must be registered for see images attach
Paeth learned how to adjust his jump in a classroom setting, among other things.
"I showed up in slides and they told me to wear tennis shoes for support," he said. "They motivated me. They got my mind right and got me to do extra. Nutrition, eat more healthy foods and drink more fluids. Using those tools and training as many places as I could, as much as I could."
He didn't insist on doing the things he'd always done and he listened to what he was told.
"Going to many coaches, in person and online," he said. "I don't do what I want to do. I let coaches who know more than me modify my jump and I don't question it off feel. I do it no matter how it feels. It's the right thing. My form gets better and my speed gets better and eventually I win."
He established a personal best during the indoor season at 15-4, 15-8 and finally 16 for the state crown.
"With the injury, no one was thinking Sam is going to come back and be something great," he said. "It was nice to prove to people — and myself — I could come back and do better. It gave me all the motivation I needed."
Paeth connected with Aquinas College coach Brian Bolton and former Grand Valley jumper Kristen Leland at the Grand Valley camp. He later connected with Grand Valley coach Lou Andreadis and will continue his career there, with Leland as an assistant.
"He saw something in me I didn't see in myself," he said. "14-6 was my best. He believed, I committed and I jumped 16. It's one of the most solid DII schools in the country. The pole vault program is notorious for good athletes.
"Leland was national champ. Implementing things in me from them will help me go higher and higher."
After he cleared 16, he set his sights on 17. Now, he'd like to clear 17-3 this season and 17-8.25 before he heads to Grand Valley.
"I like to set goals so I have to reach," he said. "(17-8.25) is solid at the DII level. I'd love to hit that one time before I go off to college. That's a very high goal."
He owns the school record as he cleared 15-6 at Hopewell-Loudon and 15 to win the Edison and Lakota invitationals.
"Breaking off rust," he said. "Shorter approach to get my legs back in and the bad weather. Just get the job done. I love that I can just be confident knowing I can be consistent. Every meet I've cleared 15, short run or long run. I can jump high in the rain, the cold; any condition.
"I'm consistent to get the job done. It makes me confident into later meets with harder competition."
Paeth was eighth at state as a sophomore, before competing at Adidas Nationals in North Carolina. He was second in the Sandusky Bay Conference River Division.
He didn't clear a bar at state as a freshman. He only competed in three meets as a junior.
"None of this would have been possible without my coach/dad (Mike)," he said. "He gave me the opportunities, got me the poles I need, directed me to coaches. He's the reason I've been able to compete where I have with who I have and learn from the people I have.
"My biggest 'thank you' goes to my dad."
Paeth learned from his ordeal to return to form and beyond.
"Sometimes steps back might lead to leaps forward," he said. "Without going through that I wouldn't be finding the level of success I am now. I would have been too comfortable, without the drive. I wanted to get back to where I was, but I almost skipped that.
"Every day, I excelled past where I was."
Without the setback, he likely would have been complacent. After all, he was trending toward four trips to Columbus.
"I wouldn't have had the motivation to seek so many other opinions," he said. "I would have been comfortable being a little better (than the previous season). I was so far behind, I had to push myself even more than I would have prior."
[email protected]
419-307-4892
X: @MatthewHornNH
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: St. Joseph Central Catholic OHSAA track
Continue reading...
