Delaney: Hadfield learning on the fly

You've heard of soccer moms. Gary Hadfield is a pole vault dad.

Hadfield is the father of New York Mills junior Linda Hadfield, one of the top scholastic pole vaulters in New York state. Linda earned another trip to the state meet Thursday at the qualifying meet at Cicero-North Syracuse. She vaulted a best of 12-6 to move on to states, which will be back at C-NS next week (June 12-13). RFA's Kelly Benfey, Hadfield's training partner and opponent, also advanced to the state meet with an 11-6.

Gary was there, in his familiar New York Mills blue polo shirt working in the vault area to encourage Linda and all of the other vaulters. Pole vaulters are small fraternity, maybe even a cult as Linda herself has admitted pole vaulters have to be a little crazy. Gary shares his daughter's enthusiasm for the specialty sport. He was a vaulter at New York Mills in the early 70s and coaches Linda at certain times of the year. Most of Gary's knowledge comes from following Linda, who trains at Tompkins County Pole Vault Club with coach Matt Scheffler.

"Everything I know to do the right way, I've learned from him," Gary said. "The hardest part is picking up the technique as they are moving."

Gary reacquainted himself with pole vaulting in 2000 when his son, Gary, wanted to try the sport. The younger Gary was a junior in high school and Linda, then in 7th grade, watched her brother and was hooked.

"It looked like fun, a challenge," Gary said. "It looked like a good time."