Not the pits afterall
By DOM COSENTINO
The Intelligencer

Here they are, Scott Sherwood and Kyle Smith, competitors from a common school in a common sport, brought together by a common dislike. Both had their reasons for going out for track and field at Pennridge: For Sherwood, it was to run distance races after wrestling season ended. For Smith, it was because, well, track and field is pretty much the family business: His father, Bill, is the Rams' girls coach, and his elder siblings, Bill, Kellie and Krista, were all middle-distance runners at the school.

But neither Sherwood nor Smith liked what they had gotten themselves into. At least until they got a reprieve by checking out the action at the

pole vault pit. "I just used pole vaulting as an excuse to get out of running," Sherwood said. "I didn't really feel like running, so I tried the
pole vault," Smith said.

Now into their third season as vaulters, Sherwood and Smith are not just doing something they like; they're good at it. Good enough, perhaps, that both have a chance to advance to states from this weekend's PIAA District One Class AAA championship meet at the Coatesville Area Multi-Purpose Stadium.

Sherwood, a junior, has cleared 14 feet, 3 inches, a height he has crossed at a pair of dual meets. Smith, a senior, has twice cleared 14-0. The standard for making states, for those who finish in the top eight at districts, is to clear 13-9. At Saturday's Suburban One League Colonial Division meet, Sherwood placed first, Smith finished second.

Sherwood and Smith both have making states as their goal, and they both have an eye on doing it together. Without question, both have benefited not only by practicing and competing together, but by succeeding together as well. "It's great to have someone there with me that jumps as high as me and can critique me and knows the little things," said Sherwood.

"It's like we're both just trying to outdo each other every time we get out there," Smith said, "but at the same time, we're always trying to help each other out. "I guess you don't realize how much help we give each other until you don't have the other there." That hasn't happened often. In fact, about a year-and-a half ago, both began going to the Vertical Assault Pole Vaulting Club at Moravian College, where they began picking up pointers from renowned vaulting coach Mike Lawryk.

The impact Lawryk's teaching has had on them has been striking, especially given that Pennridge does not have a full-time pole vault coach. "He knows what he's talking about," Smith said.

Next year, Smith will be off to Bucks County Community College. He plans to come back to Pennridge to work with Sherwood, to keep vaulting in that time. After that, he hopes to transfer to a school where he can vault. All the more reason for both to go out this year by
way of Shippensburg, site of the state meet. "Kyle's a senior; it's his last year," Sherwood said. "I want both of us going."