Air Force Alum Cale Simmons Qualifies to Rio Olympics
7/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
July 4, 2016
EUGENE, Ore. -- Air Force alumnus Cale Simmons celebrated the Fourth of July by claiming a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. Simmons earned his place on the Team USA pole vault squad after finishing second at the Olympic Trials, which are being held at Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Simmons paced a trio of Air Force vaulters at the outdoor championship meet.
The 2013 Academy graduate entered the competition on the opening height, easily clearing 17'8½" on his first attempt. He added clearances of 18'0½" and 18'4½" on second attempts, while securing the runner-up finish by making the 18'6½" bar on his first try.
Simmons will be joined on the Team USA pole vault squad by Sam Kendricks, who won the national meet with a height of 19'4¾", and Logan Cunningham, who placed third with a height of 18'4½".
The Air Force pole vault squad was represented by two of the top six vaulters in the Olympic Trials, as Dylan Bell (Class of 2016) finished sixth with a clearance of 18'4½". Bell, the most recent of the Academy graduates competing this afternoon, easily cleared the opening bar of 17'8½" on his first attempt. He cleared the second bar (18'0½") on his third try, while making 18'4½" on his second attempt.
Joey Uhle, a 2015 Academy graduate, was unable to clear the opening height of 17'8½". After a narrow miss on his first attempt, Uhle's pole snapped in two during his second try. He was able to retry that attempt, but was unable to clear his final two tries at that height.
Cale Simmons, 2016 Olympian | Second Place at Olympic Trials (18'6½")
It is so exciting. (I've been dreaming about this) for a long time. I started using a longer series of poles, so it was kind of a high risk, high reward. I had no idea if I would make it in. It's kind of scary going into it, but somehow it worked out. It couldn't have gone any better ... I'm just so excited. It's just too much to handle. After I knew I made it, I had three jumps left, but I could not focus at all. It was the hardest jumps of my life. Going to 5.70, I knew I was on (the team) ... and then I started freaking out. Knowing you've already made it, trying to run down the runway and focus ... it was too much.
I was ranked third going in and I had the standard. It's really anyone's game who has the standard, if you place within the top three. I jumped 5.72, which was third going in, but there were nine or 10 of us that had the standard as well. So, you just had to beat six or seven of those. (Looking toward Rio) I'll just keep doing the same thing ... try to get some bigger poles and just stay really open.
We had three Air Force guys in (the finals) on the Fourth of July. It's great.
Dylan Bell, Sixth Place at Olympic Trials (18'4½")
Competing (at the Olympic Trials) was really fun. It was good to have Joey and Cale by my side ... that kind of relaxed me. The crowd was great. I jumped on the biggest pole I've ever jumped on in my life. Things I would've changed ... I would've shaved my mustache, because I think that was the only reason I didn't clear 5.65. It slowed me down.
Players Mentioned
