Sternberg Reached New Heights In 1963

Pole vaulting entered a new era in the early 1960s.

Fiberglass poles had become commonplace and vaulters around the world were finding ways to harness the improvement in technology from the previous poles made of aluminum or steel.

This was plainly evident by the 1963 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at University Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

No collegian had yet cleared 16-0 (4.88m) when the calendar turned to 1963, but by the time of the 1963 NCAA meet seven had done so.

The most dominant collegian was Washington sophomore Brian Sternberg, who in the span of six weeks set three world records, the highest at 16-8 (5.08m) and even had the first attempts at 17-0 (5.18m). His first WR – also the world’s first 5-meter vault of 16-5 – still makes him the youngest WR holder in the event at age 19.

In the 1963 NCAA meet Sternberg’s Husky teammate, John Cramer, was the first to get over 15-9¾ (4.82m), a PR which equaled the meet record set by Bob Gutwoski of Occidental in 1957 – when the height was a WR that bettered that of legendary Dutch Warmerdam, himself king of the previous bamboo-pole era.

Four more vaulters, including Sternberg, joined Cramer over 15-9¾, making the 1963 NCAA pole vault the first – and still only – meet with five male vaulters over a meet record.

Only Sternberg could negotiate the meet’s first 16-footer at 16-0¾ (4.90m) – a height he needed to actually take the lead, let alone win – and then the first 5-meter clearance at 16-4¾ (5.00m). He was ever-so-close on a third attempt at a WR 16-9½ (5.12m).

One of the sport’s saddest moments came less than a month later. In early July, Sternberg suffered a paralyzing injury in a trampoline exercise, ironic in that he was also a two-time UW letter winner in gymnastics and he had done the move – a “full in fliffis” – many times before.

The injury came three days before he was set to travel to Moscow for the US-USSR dual meet during the days of the Cold War. Soviet meet officials honored him with a medal given to every winner in the meet, and one of the support letters Sternberg received came from President John F. Kennedy.