Home ⟩ Track & Field ⟩ ⟩ California ⟩ Berkeley ⟩ Camp

Questions? Call us! 1-800-645-3226

Cal Weekly Pole Vault Clinic

Cal Weekly Pole Vault Clinic 1 Review

5.00/5.

Average Rating 5.00 / 5 Stars

Develop Your Vaulting at the Cal Weekly Pole Vault Clinic

Join Cal Jumps Coach Dan Lefever at the Historic Edwards Stadium for the Cal Weekly Pole Vault Clinic!

This multi-session clinic is held on Monday and Wednesday evening, throughout June and July, from 5:00pm-6:00pm and 6:00pm-7:00pm, offering athletes from 7th grade thru college age, of all abilities, the opportunity to choose any combination of sessions to work with Coach Lefever throughout the summer.

All Cal Sports Camps are open to any and all entrants. For your safety and benefit, we recommend you choose a camp that fits your level of development. All events are subject to change based on NCAA and Covid-19 restrictions.

Highlights Include

2024 Clinic Dates - July 1 to July 24
Monday and Wednesday Evening (5:00pm-6:00pm and 6:15pm-7:15pm)
Clinic is open to Junior High (7-8th Grade), High School and College age athletes of all abilities and experience
Choose 1 or more sessions throughout July
Poles will be provided (based on current inventory), but participants can also bring their own poles
View More Details ⟩

Director Dan Lefever

Lefever enters his third year coaching vertical jumps, pole vault, and multi-event athletes with the Bears for the 2021-22 season. He came to Cal after spending the 2018-19 year on Robyne Johnson’s staff at Boston University. Prior to joining the Terriers, Lefever was a volunteer assistant coach at Stanford. He also served 14 years on the staff at Missouri rising from a volunteer, to an assistant and eventually the associate head coach.
View Dan's Bio ⟩

In the 2021 season, five of Lefever’s athletes combined for a total of seven top-three event finishes. Under Lefever’s tutelage, multi-event athlete Hakim McMorris took home the bronze medal for the decathlon in the Pac-12 Championships after notching a heptathlon win in the indoor season. Lefever also coached high jumper Hawa Wague and pole vaulter Amari Turner to wins in that year’s Big Meet.

Despite a shortened inaugural season for Lefever, his athletes reached new heights in 2020, the most notable being McMorris’ second-place finish in the heptathlon at the MPSF Indoor Championships. McMorris’ point total in that event also moved him up to third place in school history.

In his one season working with Johnson at BU, Lefever helped Gillian Morrison win the Patriot League Indoor Championship in the pentathlon. He also helped Ava Gruzen to a silver medal in the heptathlon during the conference outdoor championship. On the men’s side, Jason Biesma took third place in the decathlon and second in the heptathlon at the Patriot League Championships.

During his lone season at Stanford, Lefever helped Kaitlyn Merritt and Erika Malaspina accomplish something that had never been done in school history – both of the two Cardinal women's pole vaulters qualified for the NCAA Championships after taking second and third at the Pac-12 Championships.

Throughout his tenure at Missouri, Lefever contributed to 26 First-Team All-Americans, 10 Big 12 Conference champions, 37 NCAA Participants, 72 conference scorers, and 17 Missouri school records across the jumps, pole vault and multis events.

In his final year at Missouri, Lefever guided pole vaulters Alyssa Applebee (4.22m/13-10) and Matt Ludwig (5.46m/17-10) to school records and first and second team All-America performances, respectively. Applebee took seventh in the country and was a scorer at both SEC Indoors and Outdoors. Ludwig was the highest-placing freshman male vaulter in the country at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, finishing in10th place. He also claimed third at the SEC Outdoor Championships and sixth at the Indoor Championships.

Lefever was also instrumental in the success of Katrine Haarklau. Haarklau collected four All-American honors in the pole vault. An Outdoor NCAA Championships qualifier for each of her four years, Haarklau placed 15th in 2012, fifth in 2013, sixth in 2014 and 12th in 2015. In 2013, she broke the school record in the outdoor pole vault and javelin throw. Haarklau was also a Missouri Top Ten performer in the pentathlon and heptathlon.

Under Lefever’s leadership, Morgan Whitson earned Second Team All-America honors. Additionally, Whitson held Missouri top-10 marks in the pentathlon and heptathlon. Pole vaulter Jennifer Bennett (13-7) also took home a school record, a Big 12 championship, and First Team All-America honors.

Brian Hancock, Lars Rise and Nick Adcock had a fantastic run at the conference, NCAA, and international levels. Included among the accolades were 13 First Team All-American honors, an NCAA Heptathlon Runner-Up finish, 10 Big 12 Champion/Runner-up performances, 20 All-Big 12 recognitions, six school records, a Big 12 Indoor Championship Meet record, Midwest Regional Athlete of the Year, USATF junior decathlon champion, USATF indoor heptathlon champion, and Norwegian heptathlon national record (5902). Additionally, Nick Adcock finished no lower than fifth at any NCAA competition and together with Lars Rise scored 52 points in eight NCAA championships. Brian Hancock became the first male Tiger in 50 years to be named an All-American in the pole vault.

Heptathlete Kaela Rorvig put together a strong finish to her collegiate career. Rorvig finished runner-up in the Big 12 heptathlon with a personal best of 5372 which also qualified her to compete at the 2009 Outdoor NCAA championships. This built upon her strong indoor season where Rorvig finished third in the pentathlon at the conference championships scoring 3922 points.

Lefever mentored 2004 Norwegian Olympian Hans Uldal, who broke both the indoor and outdoor combined event school records. His decathlon score of 8018 points was good enough to qualify him for the 2007 World Championships. Hans would finish his career with another All-America honor, three runner-up Big 12 Championship performances and four Missouri school records.

Lefever started at Missouri in 2002 and was promoted to a full-time assistant coach in the fall of 2005. He was named Associate Head Coach of the Missouri program in 2009 and remained in that spot until 2016. Lefever was also selected to coach the USA Track and Field Thorpe Cup Decathlon team in 2011.

A graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University in 2000, Lefever studied exercise science and psychology. While at NWU, Lefever competed in the pole vault where he was competitive at the conference and national level. He also started a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis with emphasis in sport psychology at Missouri and holds a Master’s degree in counseling psychology from Boston College.

The Cal Weekly Pole Vault Clinic will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings, starting Wednesday, June 15th, running through Wednesday, July 26th, and is open to athletes from 7th grade through College age, of all experience and ability levels.

Coach Lefever will offer these 1-hour clinics each week throughout June and July, offering vaulters the option of participating in 1 or more of these weekly sessions, with the goal of helping athletes of all abilities to improve for the upcoming season and beyond.

2024 OVERVIEW

Dates:
- July 1-24, 2024
- Mondays & Wednesdays ONLY
Session Times:
- Session 1: 5:00PM-6:00PM
- Session 2: 6:15PM-7:15PM
Check-in: 10min before each session at Edwards Stadium
Check-out: Immediately Following the Enrolled Session
- View the campus map here
Poles provided (if needed), subject to current inventory
Attendees are welcome to bring their own poles
Meals/Drinks not provided (please bring own water/drinks)

PREPARE FOR CAMP: COMPLETE YOUR PRE-CAMP CHECKLIST

To view your customer account, complete your mandatory forms, pay balance dues, and review important camp information, visit Pre-Camp Checklist.

All necessary camp information is on this page. If there are any imperative changes prior to camp start, registered campers will be notified via email and this webpage will be updated!

INSTRUCTION, EQUIPMENT & FACILITY

Ratio: 1:10 staff to camper ratio
Grouped by: age, ability and experience
Evaluation: by coaching staff
Equipment Needed: Campers should bring at least one pair of broken in running shoes. Event shoes/spikes are recommended but not required. Please be sure to properly mark your equipment, so that it can be easily identified.
Facility: Historic Edwards Stadium

CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO BRING:

Below is a suggested list of clothes, equipment and personal items. US Sports Camps is NOT responsible for lost or stolen articles or money.

ALL ATHLETES:

Extra Athletic clothing
1-2 pairs of broken in running shoes/ event spikes
Non-running shoes
Water bottle
Sunblock
Small gym bag/backpack

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation is not provided. Campers are responsible for getting to and from camp on their own. There is no supervision before or after camp hours so please make arrangements to pick up your child on time.

Parking:
- 209 Frank Schlessinger Way, Berkeley, CA 94704
- https://goo.gl/maps/BTSS15iJkZ9pB3d19

MEDICAL PROTOCOL

Most camps have an athletic trainer on-site to help with illness or injury. In case of an emergency, campers will be transported to the nearest hospital.

CAMP TUITION PAYMENTS

Full payment of camp fees must be completed by the first day of the month before camp. For example:

June Camps: final payment is due on May 1
July Camps: final payment is due on June 1
August Camps: final payment is due on July 1

Any camper with an unpaid balance 10 days before the start of their camp will forfeit all camp fees paid to date and be removed from the camp.

Your confirmation email shows your balance due and balance due date. Final payments can be made through the US Sports Camps Customer Portal or by phone at 1-800-645-3226.

COMPANY POLICIES

For information regarding our cancellation policy and all other company policies, please visit USSC Policies.

NIKE TRACK & FIELD CAMP FAQ

For general questions about our Track & Field camps please see our FAQ page.

Show Less See More Camp Details

Session 1

4:50pm Check In
5:00pm Drills & Jumping
6:00pm Depart

Session 2

6:00pm Check In
6:15pm Drills & Jumping
7:15pm Depart

EDWARDS STADIUM

Historic Edwards Stadium/Goldman Field, which opened in 1932, is home to the California track & field and soccer teams.

Long considered one of the finest track & field facilities in the world, Edwards Stadium has a legacy unmatched in collegiate track & field. Not only has the facility been host to some of the best individual performances in the sport's history, but Edwards Stadium also stands in one of the most beautiful settings in the nation - with panoramic views of the Berkeley Hills and Strawberry Canyon to the east, and San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline to the west.

Over the years, Edwards Stadium has witnessed 12 world records, 26 American records and 24 collegiate records. The first world record set in the stadium was also history's first 15-foot pole vault, by Cornelius "Dutch" Warmerdam in 1940. The last world mark to fall in Berkeley was in 1978, as Washington State's Henry Rono clocked 13:06.4 in the 5,000-meter run. On a cinder surface in 1966 - before a Tartan all-weather surface was added in 1977 - a University of Kansas freshman by the name of Jim Ryun clocked a remarkable 3:51.3 mile.

Named after Col. George C. Edwards, the facility opened in 1932 as the only stadium in the world built for track & field use only. Since that time, Edwards Stadium has hosted eight NCAA and Pac-12 championship meets, a National AAU championship, the All-American Invitational in 1966, and 1971 and '78 USA vs. USSR dual-meets. With a seating capacity of 22,000, Edwards Stadium for years had the distinction of being the largest exclusive track & field facility in the United States.

In 1967, the oval itself was dedicated in the name of Walter Christie, Cal's first track & field coach (1900-32), and in the early 1960s, the "Friends of California Track" raised funds to build the Walter Christie Bench, which stands just outside the running track on the west side of the field.

Beginning with the 1999-20000 school year, the Cal men's and women's soccer teams adopted Edwards Stadium's infield - Goldman Field - as their home venue. The complex opened for soccer prior to the 1999 season, after being converted to a regulation 70-by-115-yards natural grass soccer field.

The improvements for Edwards Stadium were spearheaded by a lead gift of $1.5 million from alumni Richard and Rhoda Goldman. In recognition of their tremendous contribution, the field at the stadium was renamed Goldman Field in honor of Richard's father, Richard Samuel Goldman. In addition, former track athlete David Epstein ('61) made a $250,000 challenge match for other Cal track alumni and friends. Other alumni who have stepped forward with significant support include William Monheit ('33), Frederick Binkley ('43) and Thomas Floers ('48). Below are a list of improvements which have been made.

Following the completion of the renovation project, Edwards Stadium was honored with the 1999-2000 Outstanding Facility Design and Construction award by the U.S. Tennis Court and Track & Field Construction Association.

Most recently, the track received a new all-weather surface prior to the 2013 season.

Overall Average Rating 5.00 / 5 Stars

- 5/5.
he told me how much fun he had

The coaches were well versed and very motivating to the kids.

— Parent of Attendee from This Camp in 2022

SECURE YOUR SPOT – CAMPS SELL OUT!

Last year over 650 Sports Camps sold out, leaving 7,000+ campers on the waitlist. Due to high demand, early registration for our first-come-first-serve camps is strongly recommended.

New Camp Dates Coming Soon!

Please join the Priority List to be notified when this program opens for 2024 registrations.

Search Track & Field Camps Now