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Wednesday, May 29, 1996

Following father, ability is natural for Bruin sophomoreBy Emmanuelle Ejercito

Daily Bruin Staff

With his father, Robert, a competitor at the Olympic Trials in 1968 and 1972, it seems only natural that UCLA sophomore Scott Slover would have had vaulting aspirations since he could walk.

And for Slover to be the first true freshman in UCLA history to jump over 18 feet, ranking him third on the all-time list behind silver-medalist Mike Tully and current UCLA pole vaulting coach Anthony Curran, could be attributed to genes.

But surprisingly, the young Slover resisted DNA and did not take a serious interest in pole vaulting. The athletic child was too busy playing other sports like baseball, soccer, football and basketball. It wasn't until the seventh grade when Slover spent a week at his father's pole vault camp at Stanford that he even dabbled in pole vaulting.

The natural talent was there though, and after his first week of training, the seventh grader vaulted 10 feet.

"I kind of liked it," Slover said. "But I just got a kick out of it just because I wanted to see how high I could jump and to impress the older kids."

However, the attraction to the pole vault did not take root until the summer after his eighth grade year when Slover was deciding between baseball or track as the sport that he would pursue at Leland High School in San Jose. In trying to determine which sport to play, Slover discovered where his potential lay.

"My dad had a pole vault summer camp and I pole vaulted during the summer," Slover said. "I really started to enjoy it, and I jumped 11-6 that summer and that was in eighth grade. That would have made me competitive at the (high school) level if I just improved a little bit. So that is what made me decide to try track and field."

Slover quickly excelled in his newly chosen sport. He was the only freshman to compete in the section championships that year. Jumping 13-6, Slover took ninth place. But despite the fact that he was the first freshman to place that high in the history of the Central Coast Section (CCS), Slover was still disappointed in his finish.

In redemption, however, Slover would jump over 15 feet in his sophomore year to win sectionals.

Yet, Slover did not completely blossom until his junior year when the competition in CCS was fierce. The section boasted three 16-foot vaulters as it claimed to be one of the best sections in the nation in the pole vault.

Slover responded well to the opposition. The intensity of the practices and meets helped push Slover to the 17 foot mark.

The competition in his senior year was less intense and his marks that season reflected that fact. Not to say that Slover did not have a fruitful senior season. Slover still consistently jumped 17 feet, won the Golden West Invitational, placed first in the state meet and was invited to the Junior World Championship Games in 1992 where he placed ninth.

Despite the success, the progression was not the same as in previous years.

"I think that everybody was worried about him reaching his peak," Curran said.

Entering the college level seemed to alleviate any doubts that lingered about Slover. While going from never losing a meet in the last two years of high school to being on the low end of the college totem pole would bother some athletes, Slover thrived on the new competition. His freshman year, Slover vaulted 18-0 1/2 and tied for 10th in the NCAA outdoor championships.

"As a freshman I had a foot PR (personal record) in one year and all because of the competition level," Slover said. "When the competition level rises you are going to rise with it. I got to a higher level and I made up my mind that I wanted to be at the higher level."

Also contributing to his achievement is Slover's work ethic. Slover realizes there are many talented people competing and the only way to discern himself from the pack is to put in the extra effort.

For example, this fall Slover decided that he needed to work on his running technique. So he worked out with UCLA sprints coach John Smith hoping to build up his speed on the runway. And in the two years since Slover came to UCLA, he has added eight pounds of muscle mass.

"He's extremely motivated and focused as far as athletes that I have been coaching," Curran said. "He has what it takes to be a world-class athlete."

When he stands on the end of the runway, relaxed, focused and ready to clear the bar, the pressure to do well does not come from trying to fulfill his father's dream but rather it is to fulfill his own. Slover hopes to be vaulting over 19 feet by the time he graduates from college, and will have his first brush will his Olympic dreams when he competes in the Olympic Trials in mid-June.

But before all that, he has the NCAA championships to deal with today, as the pole vault final is contested in Eugene, Ore. Slover comes into the meet with the fourth-best height at a personal best of 18-1 1/4 and he is ready to earn some points for the Bruins.

"For us to win the NCAA as a team everybody has to perform at the level that they are capable of," Slover said. "The level I'm capable of I could get anywhere from second to fourth place, and if I'm in that range I feel like I've done my job for the team."

SUSIE CHU/Daily Bruin

UCLA pole vaulter Scott Slover was practically born into his sport, though he only decided to pursue it upon entering high school.