By Ned Bradshaw

Vellenoweth with Collegiate pole vaulters. Photo courtesy of Collegiate School.

During winter track and field in 8th grade, I got tired of running relentless conditioning workouts, so I walked over to the pole vault pit, where I was met by a tall, bearded man with a Penn State beanie. I was ambitious to learn the fundamentals of the event, and he taught me basic techniques and drills that would be the foundation for my form. John Vellenoweth (“Coach V” to many track and field athletes) would be my pole vault coach and mentor for the next three years.

Vellenoweth began his academic career at The Linsly School in Wheeling, West Virginia. He began vaulting in 6th grade and continued throughout high school. Simultaneously playing football and running track, Vellenoweth vaulted 15’ 8” his senior year. This personal record put him among the top recruits in the country in 2005. He committed to Penn State for track and field in 2005.

At Penn State, Vellenoweth jumped 16’ 2” his freshman year. However, he jumped consistently within the 15-foot range during his sophomore year, and his progression plateaued, which is common for most vaulters. Throughout his junior and senior years, he trained and developed his form to set the Penn State indoor record of 17’ 1” and outdoor record of 17’ 5.5”. 

After graduating from Penn State, Vellenoweth trained at Bell Athletics and coached at West Virginia University and Wake Forest University. Through these experiences, he has trained with many track and field athletes, such as Jeremy Scott, Becky Holliday, Yoo Kim, and pole vault world record holder Mondo Duplantis. 

Photo courtesy of John Vellenoweth.

Vellenoweth’s career after college included of injuries that motivated him to study physiology and exercise science. The leading cause of his injury proneness was Celiac disease, which he discovered he had after graduating from Penn State. Nevertheless, he persisted through his vaulting career and found a passion for coaching. His motive for coaching is to help young athletes mentally and physically take care of their bodies and to help them not make the same mistakes that he did. 

In 2018, Vellenoweth began coaching at Collegiate. For the several years he has been coaching here, he has helped transform the pole vaulting program by bringing in new poles, a new pit, and knowledge.

Vellenoweth lives in Montpelier, Virginia, with his wife Charlotte, two kids, Gwen and Gabriel, and two dogs, Archer and Allie. With several acres around his house, he has recently constructed an indoor pole vault facility outside his home. The facility includes many poles, a pit, weightlifting equipment, and gymnastic mats. He is innovative and constantly adds new gadgets and equipment, such as a rocket-mass heater that would heat the facility during the winter and a pole flexion device that can change the flexion point and bend of a pole.

Photos courtesy of John Vellenoweth.