- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 454,269
- Reaction score
- 44
PISCATAWAY – Track and field events generally include sprints, high hurdles, relays and long distance runs around an oval track, the shot put, high jump, long jump and javelin.
Not one of them compete with a quick glance at the sky. None of them soar as high as a bird’s nest in a dogwood tree.
Kevin and Brian O’Sullivan do.
The brothers are pole vaulters. And they share the Rutgers record with a height of 18 feet, 1 inch. That came at the South Florida Invitational last month.
Kevin, a redshirt junior, and Brian a sophomore, took up the event in middle school moving on to Hillsborough High School.
Having tried baseball, basketball and running events, it was their father who suggested the pole vault. After all, he competed in the event at their age and into Tulane University.
“We’re very competitive with each other,” Kevin said the other day after practice at the Bauer Track and Field Complex. “I push him a lot because I’d the older brother. We really help each other a lot. We hype each other up at meets and it helps us jump higher.”
“I definitely look up to him,” Brian said. “We were always neck and neck. And that makes it so much more fun.”
More: Rutgers wrestling’s Anthony White performs balancing act on the mat and in the classroom
The event seems to be as much fun as the work they put in.
“I like being in the air, the adrenalin,” the big brother said. “You try and carry as much speed as you can, and on the runway you build up the speed and momentum and then plant your pole in the box and try as hard as you can to propel it upwards.
“When you put together a perfect jump it almost feels effortless. You don’t even think about it. Everything clicks after doing it for so long. It’s a lot of fun.”
“It’s all muscle memory,” added the younger brother. “You don’t really think about it. It’s kind of normal because you’ve done it so many times.”
“The best feeling,” Kevin said, “is clearing a high bar perfectly and don’t touch the bar and don’t see it on the way down. You need to be hyper-focused. If you’re not focused, it’s going to screw you up.”
Coach Bobby Farrell certainly appreciates their attitudes.
“I can’t say enough good things about them,” he said. “I love those guys. They’ve been competing fantastically. It’s not just the height they get but how they compete. They’re the type who stay around all day, no matter the conditions. And just the kind of energy they bring. There’s never any excuses, and they just love it. It’s fun to watch. And the sky’s the limit as far as they’re concerned.”
“When you keep just jumping higher, it brings such joy. It’s the best feeling ever,” Kevin said. “Nothing else matters when you’re vaulting.”
More: Will Rutgers football add a transfer linebacker? Here's what Greg Schiano says
The competition goes into high gear at the Big Ten Championships May 16-18 in Eugene, Ore. The NCAA East Regionals are May 28-31 in Jacksonville. The East Regional qualifiers and West Coast qualifiers then compete in the Nationals, back in Oregon, June 11-14.
So what is the attitude of these guys?
“We’re going out there to win,” Kevin said about the Big Ten. “Our top goal is finishing in the top 8 as All-Americas. That would be awesome.”
The next goal is to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games, held in Los Angeles. By then they would like to have cleared 19 feet.
From there it could be competing in Europe, which if it’s still enjoyable, could carry them into their 30s.
For now they will keep at it, combining workouts at the Vault Factory in Basking Ridge and in summers working out at Hillsborough High with weights and of course poles.
Even more immediate, at least for Kevin, the sibling rivalry awaits.
“I’m motivated,” he said with a smile. “I want to hit 18-2. I can’t have my little brother jump higher than me.”
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Rutgers pole vault record set by Hillsborough NJ brothers
Continue reading...
Not one of them compete with a quick glance at the sky. None of them soar as high as a bird’s nest in a dogwood tree.
Kevin and Brian O’Sullivan do.
The brothers are pole vaulters. And they share the Rutgers record with a height of 18 feet, 1 inch. That came at the South Florida Invitational last month.
Kevin, a redshirt junior, and Brian a sophomore, took up the event in middle school moving on to Hillsborough High School.
You must be registered for see images
Having tried baseball, basketball and running events, it was their father who suggested the pole vault. After all, he competed in the event at their age and into Tulane University.
“We’re very competitive with each other,” Kevin said the other day after practice at the Bauer Track and Field Complex. “I push him a lot because I’d the older brother. We really help each other a lot. We hype each other up at meets and it helps us jump higher.”
“I definitely look up to him,” Brian said. “We were always neck and neck. And that makes it so much more fun.”
More: Rutgers wrestling’s Anthony White performs balancing act on the mat and in the classroom
The event seems to be as much fun as the work they put in.
“I like being in the air, the adrenalin,” the big brother said. “You try and carry as much speed as you can, and on the runway you build up the speed and momentum and then plant your pole in the box and try as hard as you can to propel it upwards.
“When you put together a perfect jump it almost feels effortless. You don’t even think about it. Everything clicks after doing it for so long. It’s a lot of fun.”
“It’s all muscle memory,” added the younger brother. “You don’t really think about it. It’s kind of normal because you’ve done it so many times.”
You must be registered for see images attach
“The best feeling,” Kevin said, “is clearing a high bar perfectly and don’t touch the bar and don’t see it on the way down. You need to be hyper-focused. If you’re not focused, it’s going to screw you up.”
Coach Bobby Farrell certainly appreciates their attitudes.
“I can’t say enough good things about them,” he said. “I love those guys. They’ve been competing fantastically. It’s not just the height they get but how they compete. They’re the type who stay around all day, no matter the conditions. And just the kind of energy they bring. There’s never any excuses, and they just love it. It’s fun to watch. And the sky’s the limit as far as they’re concerned.”
“When you keep just jumping higher, it brings such joy. It’s the best feeling ever,” Kevin said. “Nothing else matters when you’re vaulting.”
More: Will Rutgers football add a transfer linebacker? Here's what Greg Schiano says
The competition goes into high gear at the Big Ten Championships May 16-18 in Eugene, Ore. The NCAA East Regionals are May 28-31 in Jacksonville. The East Regional qualifiers and West Coast qualifiers then compete in the Nationals, back in Oregon, June 11-14.
So what is the attitude of these guys?
“We’re going out there to win,” Kevin said about the Big Ten. “Our top goal is finishing in the top 8 as All-Americas. That would be awesome.”
You must be registered for see images attach
The next goal is to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games, held in Los Angeles. By then they would like to have cleared 19 feet.
From there it could be competing in Europe, which if it’s still enjoyable, could carry them into their 30s.
For now they will keep at it, combining workouts at the Vault Factory in Basking Ridge and in summers working out at Hillsborough High with weights and of course poles.
Even more immediate, at least for Kevin, the sibling rivalry awaits.
“I’m motivated,” he said with a smile. “I want to hit 18-2. I can’t have my little brother jump higher than me.”
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Rutgers pole vault record set by Hillsborough NJ brothers
Continue reading...
