The Southeastern 2013 track and field season kicked off for some with the McNeese Indoor Invitational last month, but for pole vaulters, the season began with a trip to compete at the UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada.
Kevin Dorhauer, a senior majoring in kinesiology fitness and human performance, is one of several pole vaulters on the Southeastern team who performed well at the summit, finishing fourth in the standings with a vault of 15 feet, 3.07 inches.
“I set a new indoor personal record of 15-3, four inches below my all-time personal record,” said Dorhauer of the recent summit. “The pole vaulters went to Reno, Nevada, and it was just pole vaulting while the rest of the track team competed at McNeese. Our team is starting off very strong. We seem to be picking up right at where we left off last season, so we can only move forward.”
Pole vaulting is something that Dorhauer has been doing since high school.
“I went to state championship my junior and senior year, got third my junior year,” said Dorhauer. “I have the Denham Springs High School record.”
Dorhauer began school at Southeastern in the fall of 2009 and worked hard at over the last three years as a walk-on.
“Kevin has made our program better,” said head coach Sean Brady. “He has managed to overcome some physical limitations and is much faster, stronger and athletic than when he arrived 4 years ago. More over, he is a great student and truly fine person.”
“I was already planning on coming to Southeastern, but I loved jumping so much I decided to try it out on the college level, so I decided to walk on the team,”said Dorhauer. “Best decision I’ve ever made was to walk onto this track team.”
Over the years, he has competed with Track and Field team in Alabama, Oklahoma, Nevada, Texas and all over the state of Louisiana.
“I made four time conference qualifier,” said Dorhauer. “I jumped 15-7 last year. I’m not like the stud on the team. Personally, I’d like to be a regional qualifier at least, and I hope to see more of our team go to regionals and some to nationals.”
Although he will graduate with his bachelor’s this May, Dorhauer plans to return to Southeastern for his master’s and to compete on the track and field team again in 2014.
“I came on the team as a walk on and worked really hard to earn a scholarship this year, so I have this year and next year to come,” said Dorhauer. “I’ll be back getting my master’s degree next year, so I can compete my last year and hopefully help coach a little bit after that.”