Pole Pilots is a track club that operates out of Tucson, Arizona training mostly pole-vaulters and occasionally coaching speed development for the sprints and jumps. For over two decades, husband-and-wife coaches Roy D. Willits and Jennifer Croissant have been coaching State Champion vaulters including Connie Jerz (Tucson HS, '00), Erin Anderson (Marana Mountain View, '01), Clint Robinson (Salpointe Catholic, '08), even turning their home into the Pole Vault hub of Tucson. Coach Croissant is also the pole vault coach for the Salpointe Catholic Lancers while Coach Willits coaches at Marana Mountain View prior to club practice at home.
This year, their top vaulter Andy Ference (Salpointe Catholic, Sr.) is the returning D3 State Champion who opened his season with a PR by over a foot and a half. This season he's been undefeated at home pocketing victories at Desert Tune-Up, Chandler Rotary (PR: 16-8) and even taking 3rd at the Arcadia Invitational. On the girls' side, Aleks Stawicka (Catalina Foothills, Sr.) vaulted a personal best of 11-03 at the Mountain View Midweek Invitational earlier this month. She'll be aiming to close out the season with a goal of 12-feet for a new lifetime best.
Check out Post-Workout Interviews with the coaches and vaulters in the next slides