The Siuslaw Vikings track and field team is going to new lengths to get the jump on the competition.

And, hopefully, new heights.

The first Florence Street Vault is planned for Wednesday, March 23, inviting elite high school pole vaulters to compete on Bay Street.

Yes, Bay Street.

"We are looking for quality rather than getting quantity," Vikings coach Chris Johnson said. "We will keep it under 10 vaulters for each gender."

The starting heights are 9 feet for girls and 11 for boys.

The Vikings have two of the best boys vaulters in the state. Senior Camp Lacouture and junior Kyle Hughes each have personal records of 13 feet even.

Hughes had his PR to finish fifth at state last spring when the Class 4A championships were held at Hans Petersen Memorial Field.

Lacouture went 13 feet earlier in the season and shared sixth place at state with a mark of 12-6.

If only Bandon and Marshfield send their best vaulters, the boys field will be near capacity.

Bandon has 2A state champion Hunter Angove (PR 13-7) and runner-up Owen Brown (13-0), as well as Kross Miller (11-0). 

Marshfield has 4A state champion Trent Summers (14-10), runner-up Jonathon Parks (14-0) and Jack Waddington (13-4).

The girls' side may be more challenging to fill. Marshfield's Roxy Day (9-9) and Bandon's Olivia Thompson (9-0) made the qualifying height last spring as freshmen.

The Vikings have built a raised runway to accommodate the event, borrowing a theme from Field of Dreams.

"We have never hosted one of these before because we didn't have a raised runway," Johnson said. "We built one last summer — actually Camp and Kyle built it."

The pole vault pits at Hans Petersen need to be removed soon after the season ends to allow the grass to grow back in time for football.

"We were just really building (the raised runway) so we could jump in the summer," Johnson said. 

"Now that we have it I thought, 'Why not take it downtown and put on a show?'"

NOTES

Johnson's sales pitch to vaulters: "We will contest an elite pole vault showcase for high school pole vaulters on Bay Street. Bay Street is a popular tourist stop with fine dining, galleries and fun shopping. Since the event will take place during spring break, there should be plenty of spectators passing by during the competition." …

Vaulters will compete unattached. No school uniforms are allowed. …

The runway and pit will open for wam-up by 11 a.m., with competition underway at noon. …

Boys' and girls' winners will receive a voucher for a pair of Nike Pole Vault Spikes. …

Marshfield's Summers cleared 15-2 and teammate Parks 14-6 in January at the UCS National Pole Vault Summit, an indoor competition in Reno. …

SIUSLAW SCHEDULE

Thursday, March 17 — Siuslaw Icebreaker, Hans Petersen Memorial Field, 4 p.m. (Bandon, Cottage Grove, Douglas, Glide, Jefferson, Marist, Myrtle Point, Pleasant Hill, Taft)
Wednesday, March 23 — Florence Street Vault, Bay Street for pole vaulters only
Saturday, April 2 — at Marist Invite, Eugene
Tuesday, April 5 — Sky-Em League JV, Hans Petersen Memorial Field
Saturday, April 9 — AMJ Invitational, McKenzie
Tuesday, April 12 — Sky-Em League JV, Marshfield
Thursday, April 14 — Philomath Invitational, noon
Saturday, April 16 — 20th annual Prefontaine Rotary Invitational, Marshfield (Coos Bay), 10 a.m.
Friday, April 22 — Central Coast Invitational, Hans Petersen Memorial Field, 4 p.m. (Dallas, Marshfield, North Bend, Philomath, Sutherlin, Toledo)
Friday, April 22-Saturday, April 23 — Oregon Relays, Hayward Field, Eugene
Tuesday, April 26 — Sky-Em League JV, Cottage Grove
Friday, April 29 — Nike/Jesuit Twlight Relays, Portland, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Aprll 30 — Stayton Invitational, 10 a.m.
Saturday, April 30 — 56th Centennial Invitational, Gresham, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, May 3 — Sky-Em Varsity Meet, Steve Prefontaine Track, Coos Bay, 4 p.m.
Friday, May 6 — Wally Ciochetti Invitational, Cottage Grove, 2 p.m.
Friday-Saturday, May 13-14 — Sky-Em League Championships, Junction City
Friday-Saturday, May 20-21 — OSAA 4A State Championships, Hayward Field, Eugene

SIUSLAW ROSTER

Boys
Freshmen
Justin Allen
Raymundo Brito-Xilot
Landon Curley
Chaz Edblom
Isaac Głowacki
Kyler Hammerburg
Korbyn Marler
Nicholas May
Wesley Nicholls
Deegan Smith
Sophomores
Samuel Castle
Owen Garneau
Brayden Linton
Hunter Pimlott
Talan Ross
David Sassone
Landon Severy
Cort Waggoner
Juniors
Jacob Blankenship
Alex Goss
Tyler Hendershot
Noel Hernandez
Kyle Hughes
Lucian Murphy
Hunter Petterson
Jonathan Rose
Samuel Ulrich
Seniors
Rhys Fleming
Dante Gali
JC Gentry
Avery Hart
Chad Hughes
Camp Lacouture
Joseph Slaughter
James Smith

Girls
Freshmen
Makayla Bender
Jaamise Huff
Macali Ladę
Addison McNeill
Macy McNeill
Maya Wells
Sophomores
Madison Carnahan
Corduroy Holbrook
Iriena Khufu
Jane Lacouture
Daelyn McGee
Juniors
Gillian Norton
Seniors
Rylee Colton
Alizabeth Norton