In Crane, they vault indoors

CRANE To get here, you have to make sure to avoid the oil spots on the floor of the trucking company.

The warehouse can get a bit stuffy, and the smell of grease can be a tad strong. And you may notice the two owls living in the building.

But you'd have a hard time finding a better place to pole vault indoors in Crane County.

Tony Aguilar has used the unused portion of the Trey Trucking warehouse to train pole-vaulters since his oldest son, Cory Aguilar, started working out here in 2001.

"He was getting looked at by a lot of colleges, but he'd never done indoor pole vaulting," Tony Aguilar said.

So Aguilar found the then-unused building, whose owners allowed him to use it. He bought Crane High's old landing pit and a runway from Abilene Christian University, where Cory Aguilar went on to become an NCAA Division II All-American and assistant track and field coach.

Building the jumping area meant making sure the kids were safe from hitting the rafters as they sprang into the air.

He also had to use a jackhammer to create an area to set the pole.

Practicing indoors gives kids several advantages, Tony Aguilar, 43, said. First, it prepares them for college competition. And it also allows them to work no matter what the weather's like outside.

Extra practice also allows the sport to be taught safely, Aguilar said.

"They're taught the safe way here," he said. "If you go watch kids who don't have good coaching, it's a real dangerous sport."

Plus there are advantages you wouldn't normally think of.

"They've got different sounds here," Aguilar said. "They're always welding. When they compete, they've got to deal with noise."

Along with Cory, Aguilar's son Chad trained here. He went on to finish first in pole vault at the 2007 Class 2A state meet.

Now, a third Aguilar son is using the facility. Chris Aguilar, 17, has the region's best jump at 14 feet, 7 inches.

Chris Aguilar said the indoor facility is a big advantage.

"It's still hot in here, but you don't have the sun beating down on you," he said. "That saves a lot of energy."

And some outside the family are using the building. Tony Aguilar's had vaulters from Permian and Rankin schools train in his facility.

Summer Sutherland, 17, picked up pole vaulting over the summer and is already posting vaults that would place her high in the state meet. The Crane High junior recently exceeded 12-feet 1-inch.

"That's gonna rank her in the top 10 in the nation," Tony Aguilar said.

Sutherland first found out about the facility when she watched her boyfriend, Chad Aguilar, train here.

"It was neat," she said. "I never saw anything like it."

Sutherland said she actually had to adjust when she first jumped outdoors.

Although the University Interscholastic League doesn't hold indoor meets, Aguilar takes his informal West Texas Vault Club to meets in Joshua and Reno, Nev.

Crane High freshman Sheyenne King, 15, has been vaulting since sixth grade, but she recently started the indoor training. She said it's made a big difference.

"Tony's been a big help, and being indoors can be a big advantage," she said.

Crane High track and field coach Henry Anderson, who came to the school in 2003, said Tony Aguilar's facility has been important, even helping the Golden Cranes win a state team title in 2006.

"A lot of people don't have an indoor facility, and it helps out in the cold months," he said. "And Tony does a great job."

Even though the trucking facility is now busy, its owners still let Aguilar use it for free, something he appreciates. And, in turn, he asks for nothing from the kids he trains.

"This is all volunteer," he said. "I do it because I like kids, and I like working with them."