There’s more than one way to pole vault.
Freshman Sondre Guttormsen and sophomore Tate Curran are proof.
The UCLA track and field pole vaulting tandem have placed in the top three in both of its contests this year with Guttormsen sealing first-place finishes at the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge and the New Mexico Collegiate Classic.
“(Guttormsen) jumps on really different poles. He’s got really different technique than I do,” Curran said. “I tend to stick more towards my (pole vault coach Anthony Curran’s) technique and style of training (while Guttormsen) has a different style of training. … (What) I’ve learned in training with (Guttormsen) at that high level is that there’s no one way to pole vault and there’s no one way to jump high.”
The two pole vaulters had very different backgrounds before coming to Westwood.
Guttormsen graduated from Davis Senior High School with both the indoor and outdoor CIF State Track & Field Championships pole vault records and made his name on the national stage at the 2018 European Athletics Championships. Tate Curran transferred as a sophomore from local El Camino College.
Anthony Curran, Tate Curran’s father, said Guttormsen and Tate Curran differ not only in technique but in personality.
“They’re both so good for each other,” Anthony Curran said. “Tate is kind of a laid-back surfer type of guy and (Guttormsen) is so focused in everything he does. … Tate cools out (Guttormsen) a little bit and (Guttormsen) pumps up Tate.”
Guttormsen and Tate Curran’s personal records of 5.71 meters and 5.32, respectively.
Tate Curran – who has finished third in his first two meets – said watching Guttormsen drives him in competitions.
“It’s always (a goal to go back-to-back in the pole vault),” Tate Curran said. “Everybody was going crazy. (Guttormsen) broke the national record, the meet record, all these things, all these accomplishments. He gets you to be like ‘I want to PR, I want to do well, I want to be in the mix, I want to be with those other guys, I want to be like them.’”
A dream brought to fruition
Working with your parent can be difficult, especially if they’re your coach.
That’s not the case with Tate Curran and his father and coach Anthony Curran.
“It’s been my dream since I was a little kid to have my dad as my coach,” Tate Curran said. “Growing up, a lot of people think it’s tough having your dad as your coach, but I just don’t see it that way. We have a really good relationship, father-son as well as coach-athlete relationship, so it works really well for me and it’s been a dream of mine forever.”
Anthony Curran – a former UCLA pole vault standout himself – was only able to coach his son a couple times a week while Tate Curran was in high school due to the time commitment of coaching his own pole vaulters at UCLA.
Now with his son on the team, Anthony Curran does not have to worry about that problem.
“It’s such a blessing,” Anthony Curran said. “Having the full-time access to him and being able to talk to him and travel with him has just been super blessing. I really never thought this was going to come true and I’m just having the time of my life.”
From walk-on to top-10 all-time
While the men’s pole vaulters are beginning their UCLA careers, redshirt senior Elleyse Garrett is entering her final season as a member of the women’s team.
Garrett said the camaraderie among the pole vaulters has enhanced her experience.
“The vault squad’s bond is the strongest because we spend so much time together and we’re always on the road together and we’re all supporting each other,” Garrett said. “Because we all know how hard the sport is, it makes (it) all that much closer.”
Garrett opened the season with a personal record indoor pole vault of 4.20 meters at the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge, placing her at seventh on UCLA’s all-time indoor list.
Anthony Curran said he envisions Garrett walking away from UCLA in the top three in the women’s pole vaulting record list after joining the program in 2015.
Anthony Curran said the future for UCLA is bright because of the pole vaulters.
“After 35 years of coaching, I think these next few years are going to be the best,” Anthony Curran said. “What helps when you have great pole vaulters like Tate, (Guttormsen) and (Garrett) is it makes other kids interested in our program.”