Hearing the complaints became almost a weekly ritual for Kirk Misialek. Josh Regorrah was always talking about all the work pole vault coach Tom Crummy was demanding.
"I'd hear it at least once a week from Josh,'' said Misialek, the East Grand Forks Senior High boys head track coach. "Josh would talk about how coach Crummy was really putting it to him, really making him work. Tom would pull Josh into the school after their regular workouts and have him do other activities.''
But, as it turned out, the complaints weren't negative comments.
"I was actually bragging about it to coach,'' Regorrah said. "I had a coach (Crummy) who was pushing me to work harder. I was really happy with that. And it definitely has paid off.''
That's because Regorrah is coming off a Minnesota Section 8A title in the vault and is heading to the state meet with high hopes. The junior cleared 13 feet, 6 inches at the section meet, giving him the No. 3 seed at state in the Class A pole vault. The competition will be held on Friday's opening day of the state meet.
ADVERTISEMENT
Regorrah heads to state on a roll. In his last two meets, the junior has twice broken the Senior High school record.
He did it first at the Subsection 30A meet, when he went 13-5 to beat the record of 13-4 set by Steve Boushee in 1986. He broke his own record Saturday at the 8A meet and has been close to clearing 14 feet.
Misialek credits a lot of Regorrah's success to Crummy, who vaulted at Bemidji State.
"Josh is a good natural athlete,'' Misialek said. "He has good hops, good speed. And he's worked to improve his strength. Tom told him he had to get stronger, quicker, all the things it takes to be a good vaulter.
"And Tom is constantly showing Josh the fundamentals. Josh wants somebody there to watch and work with him. I don't think he'd be at the heights he's at if it wasn't for the training he's gone through.''
Regorrah is a relative newcomer to vaulting. He's in his third season of competing. He first was attracted to the sport while watching it on television during the 2008 Olympics. "I thought it looked so cool,'' Regorrah said.
But high-flying sports aren't new to Regorrah. He was in gymnastics for several years before quitting last fall. "I was getting too big for the equipment, and it was starting to take some wear and tear on my body,'' said Regorrah, who also is a starting goaltender in soccer.
He joined the Grand Forks co-op swim team last winter and wound up finishing 11th at the state meet in diving.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I have a lot of fun trying to control what I do in the air,'' Regorrah said. "I guess I've been kind of good at flipping around. It sounds funny, but I'm kind of afraid of falling. But the sensation of the fall is kind of fun.''
Misialek said that if Regorrah were to join a circus, he'd be doing the high-wire trapeze acts.
"That actually does sound sort of fun,'' Regorrah said, laughing.
Blasey, Eastman top
area qualifiers
In addition to Regorrah, Jesse Eastman of Roseau and Brian Blasey of Ada-Borup are top area contenders for high places at the Minnesota boys state track meet.
Eastman, a senior, is seeded fifth in the triple jump and tied for the fifth-highest high jump. He's also a qualifier in the 110 and 300 hurdles after winning all four events at the 8A meet.
Blasey has proven himself on the state level. The senior is defending state champion in the discus and is seeded eighth in the event. The senior is the No. 1 seed in the shot put, an event in which he placed third at state last season.
ADVERTISEMENT
DeVillers reports on sports. Reach him at (701) 780-1128; (800) 477-6572, ext. 128; or send e-mail to gdevillers@gfherald.com .
