Votapka vaults to GSAC championship

Fallbrook High School graduate Lane Votapka won the Golden State Athletic Conference men’s pole vaulting championship.

Votapka, who is now a sophomore at Point Loma Nazarene University, cleared 14’11” at the GSAC meet April 27-28 at Fresno Pacific University.

“We expected him to win and he did, and that’s a good thing,” said Point Loma Nazarene University head track and field coach Jerry Arvin. “He did a good job.”

The distance was relatively low for Votapka, but clearing just short of 15 feet allowed him to win the GSAC championship and he had previously qualified for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national meet. “Most of the time he vaulted over 15 feet,” Arvin said. “Had really, I think, a solid season this year.”

His highest vault of the season was 15’9” at the Point Loma Invitational March 24, which also won the meet consisting of approximately 20 schools. On March 31 he vaulted 15’6” at Point Loma. “He consistently this year made a huge improvement from last year,” Arvin said. “I thought Lane had an exceptional sophomore season.”

Factors such as weather and wind may affect a vaulter’s distance from week to week, but over a year’s time the trend has been positive. “We believe he’s going to vault a lot higher,” Arvin said.

“The biggest thing with Lane’s getting his speed up,” Arvin said. “I just think over the next couple of years he’s going to continue to mature.”

The 15’9” height was an automatic qualifying distance for the NAIA nationals, but even higher distances are required to win an NAIA championship. “We need to get him to the national meet, and he’s got two more years,” Arvin said.

Votapka’s attitude and other traits outside the vaulting pit may augment his athletic talent in that process. “He’s a great young man,” Arvin said.