Break doesn't deter Jarvis

The Canfield junior is headed to Columbus for the state track meet.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CANFIELD -- Everyone else was leaving practice on May 25, but Canfield junior pole vaulter Stephanie Jarvis decided to stay.
The regional meet was a few days away and Jarvis knew if she wanted advance to Columbus, she needed to work on a few things.
Then disaster struck.
"As I went up for one of my vaults, my pole snapped," Jarvis said. "I fell and I didn't know where I was.
"It was the scariest thing I've ever done in my life."
As her coach, Joe Hammon, ran to find her another pole, Jarvis started crying. She wasn't seriously injured -- she strained her fingers and bruised her back -- but that wasn't her main concern.
Initial reaction
"I just thought, 'Oh my gosh, my state chances are totally gone,' " she said.
Not quite.
Jarvis' father ordered a new pole from a business in Nevada (it cost $310) and had it overnighted (which cost another $65).
In the meantime, Hammon switched Jarvis to a smaller pole, helped break some of her bad habits and improved her form.
By the time she got to last Saturday's Division I regional meet at Fitch High, she was ready.
Jarvis shattered her own school record by eight inches, jumping 10 feet, 3 inches to place second and earn a state bid.
"I was so relieved," she said.
Jarvis started vaulting in November 2002, inspired by a discussion on Title IX by her teacher, Mike Roussos.
Jarvis' cousin, Allison Brager, vaulted for Boardman and, after talking to Canfield athletic officials, she got clearance to start jumping with Hammon at Fitch. (All area pole vaulters train at Fitch.)
Six months later, she finished second to Brager at the district meet but did not make it out of the regional.
She spent the offseason practicing and vaulted during indoor season. She also kept in touch with Brager -- a two-time state qualifier who now vaults at Brown University.
"Since my cousin was gone, I sort of looked at it like I had big shoes to fill," Jarvis said. "I've always looked up to her and even though she was at Brown, I called her every day and asked how she was doing.
Own path
"She was a big inspiration. I want to make my own path, but I also wanted to follow in her footsteps."
She's on her way.
Jarvis, who said she hopes to clear 10-6 at the state meet, doesn't plan on doing anything different this week.
"Mr. Roussos was talking to me about motivation and he was telling me about an Olympic thrower who won a gold medal," Jarvis said.
"When [the thrower] was asked what it felt like, he said it felt like a regular track meet. So [Roussos] told me to forget about the crowd and the runners and just imagine I'm jumping in practice."
scalzo@vindy.com