Shen star sets his pole goal

Casey Gribben is a senior member of the Shenendehowa boys' varsity track and field team.

Competing in the pole vault, Gribben set a personal record at Kingston's Tigers Relays by clearing a height of 14 feet, 9 inches earlier this season. Friday, Gribben won at the Shenendehowa Invitational at 14-6.

Gribben will continue his track and field career at the Division I level for Binghamton University.

Q: How would you say your senior outdoor season has gone so far?

A: Well, it has been really nice. I have gotten so much better. My training and my technique, it is all there. This sport is so mental. I think with only a couple of weeks left, I will have a good end to the season. It has been great so far.

Q: Looking at a couple of results you've had, you have been inching toward 15 feet. Is that the goal?

A: Absolutely. We just had the Shen Invitational Friday and it was close. Yes, 15 feet is a big benchmark with me. I would absolutely love to get it.

Q: I am always interested in talking to someone that competes in something not a lot of athletes attempt. What brought you to the pole vault?

A: Well, I wish I had a more interesting story. It was really that I joined indoor track in my freshman year of high school just to stay in shape. A senior said to me, 'Why don't you try pole vault?' I fell in love with it immediately. My coach asked me to skip baseball that spring to continue with it in the outdoor season. Things just took off.

Q: What was the hardest thing for you actually doing the event?

A: The training is great, I love to work out and learn new things, but any pole vaulter will tell you the most difficult aspect of it is the mental aspect of the sport. It takes so much concentration and focus to be able to perform at your peak. It is something that everyone strives for. That is what I love about it.

Q: Have you snapped any poles yet in your career?

A: No, I haven't actually. I am surprised. My teammates have.

Q: I have talked to others that pole vault that said their biggest fear was snapping the pole. Is it for you?

A: Not really. There was a time when I was falling out of the pit a lot. It is a chance I am willing to take. If you look at statistics, so few people that have broken poles have been seriously injured.

Q: As you entered your final outdoor season, did you have any set goals in mind?

A: I am literally inching toward the school record. That would be amazing to get. It is bittersweet that the high school career is ending, but I still have four more years in college to do the sport that I love. Anywhere I go, I know things will take off more in college.

Q: Is Shenendehowa competing in the Eddy Meet?

A: Yes.

Q: Is that one you would like to do well in?

A: Yes. We treat the Eddy Meet like a pre-sectional meet. That is where people show off their stuff. In the section, it is difficult to find competition at this level. At the same time, I love going to these big meets and seeing other people with a passion for the sport. It should be a good time.

Q: Talking about the mental aspect, sometimes there will not be someone pushing you in competition. When that happens, do you select a height in your mind and approach things that way?

A: Yes, there are times when I am competing against myself. You are right. It is all about the mental aspect. You have to have an internal drive to want to do better.

Q: As you made your college selection, what was it about Binghamton that made you select the school?

A: I tried to pick a program and also get the education I was looking for. Picking Binghamton, for the location and price, was everything I wanted. It is an incredible place and I think I made the right decision. I am very excited for next year.

Q: Have you settled on a major yet?

A: I am headed there as a mechanical engineering major.

Q: Is there part of you that misses baseball, or any other sports you were playing?

A: I do miss baseball sometimes, but I know I never had the passion for it like I do with pole vaulting. I don't think I would have had a future in baseball, to be honest. When I got into pole vaulting, I thought it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Q: Will we be seeing you on a senior circuit pole vaulting at 50 years old?

A: Maybe.

Q: I think anyone that watches your event wants to know what is the exhilaration level like when you are going up and over the bar. Describe it?

A: It all happens in a split second. I will tell my teammates sometimes that at times I find it difficult to even remember what happens at the top. The feeling of clearing the bar and landing is really incredible.

jallen@timesunion.com • 518-454-5062 • @TUSidelines