A legend in his time, an inspiration in ours

During a pole vault career that spanned from his collegiate days at IU in the 1980s through the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Dave Volz used a technique so effective it is now banned in track and field. The move, now known as “Volzing,” allowed the vaulter to push the bar with their hand, preventing it from falling as the athlete sailed over it.

Sixteen years ago, Volz placed fifth in the pole vault in the Olympics. Now, he’s back at IU, volunteering his time to coach pole vaulters on the IU men’s and women’s track and field teams.

Chasing the dream
Volz, who was a five-time All-American at IU from 1981-1984, set two American records while at IU and was called the “Best Vaulter in the World” by “Track and Field News” in 1982.

But his career has not been without hardship. After winning the NCAA championship in 1981, his freshman year at IU, disaster struck.

While in Europe warming up for a competition, he fell over out-of-place warm-up equipment and severed many nerves in his left ankle.

Still battling to get back to his previous form, Volz was seriously hurt again in 1986 when he broke his right leg and right ankle.

Still, he persevered, fighting for his dream of competing on the ultimate stage — the Olympics.

“It was tough from the standpoint that I felt like I didn’t accomplish everything I wanted to,” he said.

Volz said when he finally got back to full strength in about 1990, he spent two years training hard, which paid off at the Olympic Trials. He qualified for the U.S. team and vaulted 18-6.5 feet in the Olympics, good enough to earn him fifth place on the world’s biggest stage.

With a family to look after, he had to make sacrifices, but Volz said he was grateful to have the opportunity to live out his dream after what he called a long road back.

“I don’t know that I could have scripted it any better,” he said. “It was everything I would have hoped it would be.”

Life after the Olympics
For the past few years, Volz has volunteered a lot of his time to his alma mater.

Senior Jeff Coover, an All-American last season, said he has learned from Volz’s mental toughness, which has helped him when he gets in difficult situations.

“He is definitely a role model for me as far as my attitude,” he said, a tribute to Volz’s hard work after injury setbacks.

Junior Vera Neuenswander, who has worked with Volz since she set foot on campus, said she has enjoyed getting to know him and learning from one of the sport’s best.

“He is the go-to guy,” she said. “He knows a lot about the event and cares about his athletes.”

Volz, who grew up in Bloomington, started vaulting in seventh grade and hasn’t looked back since.

Two of his three sons, Drake and Drew, took after their father and pole vaulted at Bloomington High School South. Drake is now a member of IU’s track and field team.

Although Volz says he did not pressure his children to follow in his footsteps, he enjoys helping them out.

“It’s a nice experience to share with them,” he said.

Volz now works with assistant coach Jake Wiseman, who he coached while Wiseman, a 2005 graduate, was at IU.

Wiseman said he enjoys working with someone who knows as much as Volz does.

“I’m always excited to have him around with his knowledge of pole vault,” Wiseman said.

Wiseman proposed a simple comparison to highlight how important Volz’s contributions are to the team, involving IU sprint coach Jeff Huntoon and distance and head coach Ron Helmer.

“It would be like coach Huntoon having Michael Johnson, or coach Helmer having Steve Prefontaine to help them,” he said.

In addition to helping out the IU vaulters, he is also the vice president of manufacturing for Cook Incorporated in Bloomington.

To almost every person he has come in contact with, Volz is considered a great all-around person and volunteers his time without pay to give back to a program that means so much to him.

In the future Volz said he would like to continue to help at IU, which Wiseman will gladly appreciate.

“For him to spend his time here is great,” Wiseman said. “It says a lot about his character and the person he is.”