10
Wednesday, April 16, 1980
University Daily Kansan
Buckingham overcomes injury jinx
By MATT SEELEY Sports Writer
With all the time Jeff Buckingham has spent in hospitals, one would think he would be practicine medicine.
Instead, Buckingham continues to perfect the art he knows best, the nola vault.
At 19, Buckingham has been in and out of hospital since he was five years old. Yet, he continues to battle from hospital beds his goal of an Olympic cold.
THE FIRST HOSPITAL trip was the scariest. Buckinham savs.
"I was camping out with my brother and two friends when the tent caught on fire. I buckled under it and helped George) ran to the house and somehow our parents already had known what had happened."
"Every six months I'd have to go back for tests," Buckingham said. "My brother didn't get as much of a burn, but it looks as if he were burned worse."
About 65 percent of Buckingham's body was covered with third degree burns. He spent three months in the hospital recovering.
Although the effects of the fire linger with Buckingham in both mind and body, they did not deter the Gardner native from pursuing the vault.
"I CAME HOME from the first day's practice in seventh grade and my father asked what I wanted to do," Bitingham said. "I did it, and say he and the nole vault."
In the beginning, there were no fiber glass poles or padded bits to land on. Everything
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Bunuel:
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BREAKING AWAY
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"The high school didn't have a track, so about three or four hours a day my father would coach me." Burkingham said.
from pole to pit was makeshift. With a 10-foot pipe as a pole and the dirt of the ground as a pit, Buckingham, with his father coaching, beamed vavlting.
Dir. Werner Herzog, with Bruno S. Kasper Hauser, a young man who apologizes for the absence of unable to speak and hardly able to stand. Grand Jurie Prix Cameo Film Festival
His father is no stranger to the sport. During his senior year at Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kan., the elder Buck captured the city pole vault championship.
"My first year was just average," Buckingham said. "I lost most of my meets. I guess you could say my first big thrill was winning the league meet."
Unless otherwise noted; all films will be available in the Kansas University; M-1 film prices are $1.00 and start at 7:30; weakened film are $2.00 and end at Midnight and on Fri., Sat, and Saat. At the SUA office, contact the SUA Office, Union 5th Level. Information=844-3477. No smoking.
THE TIMES have changed. Buckingham, a KU instructor, has joined the bestseller's bestsellers, and in the process, has established a list of accomplishments as long as his vaults are up.
Three times a Big Eight champion, Buckingham holds the KU outdoor record with a 7-4 v-7. He will most likely win three championships before he graduates.
But the glory of winning titles bears no statistics of the pain endured in accomplishing them.
Consider Buckingham's senior year of high school, when he landed on a metal crossbar during practice.
"There was a real sore, big bruise on my back for a while, but it went away," Buckingham said. "Then, I could hurt them and they couldn't find what the problem was."
“One of them said it was a dis problem and another thought it might be nerves. I had to sit out eight months and I didn't like that at all.”
THE ABSENCE from vaulting only made the desire to return grow stronger.
In his senior year, he was selected to
participate in the US-USSR dual meet in Donyetsk, USSR. Despite the pain, he competed.
The results, however, told a different story. Buckingham broke his own high school record, clearing 17.4% and finishing second in the competition.
But the meet did not tell the whole story of Buckingham's experiences in Russia.
"I was in a lot of pain," Buckingham said.
"I didn't practice at all."
"THE ARMY IS everything over there," he said. "When we got off the plane they were everywhere. Soldiers and tanks would be in the streets; it's really different."
The living conditions were no better.
"We were supposed to be in a really nice hotel in the city," Buckingham said. "They told us it was one of the best."
"There were cats all over the place and they gave you roll-up beds to sleep in. There was no hot water and the bathtub was one flat open area."
Buckingham said the Russian spectators were his biggest disappointment.
"They weren't good at all," he said.
"When I was on the runway, they all whistled (a form of booing) and threw ice cones at me."
DESPITE HIS impressive high school record, Buckingham was not heavily recruited by colleges.
"I guess a lot of them didn't recruit me and I wasn't supposed to," the kid said. "KU recruited me the most and Indiana and Arkansas showed some interest. But they said I wasn't going to improve."
Nothing like fooling the experts. In his first year at KU, Buckingham won the Big Eight Indoor and Outdoor titles and was the NCAA Intern runner-up in the vault.
But the medical problems continued.
"This past fall I became really tired," Buckingham said. "The doctors said it was
--a thyroid problem and gave me some thyroid medicine. It didn't help too much.
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--a thyroid problem and gave me some thyroid medicine. It didn't help too much.
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The injuries in the team have transformed Backingham into a silent leader for the team in the summons said. "Jeff is not a leader by infention but by actions. He goes out and does things."
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Buchingham's future is much like his vaulting—up in the air.
"I'd like to get healthy and have a good college career," Buckingham said. "After that, though, I don't know. Maybe have a family and teach them to vault."
For moments too good to miss
OR THE FUTURE may not involve vaulting at all. Earlier this semester, Buckingham said he was thinking of taking some time off from vaulting.
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"I talked with my father and we discussed working out but not competing." Buckingham said. "It's something to think about," he said. "If you think you you cann't get any better if it affects you."
"I'd do nothing but think about the things I'm doing wrong and ways to improve on them. It's something to think about."
For now, however, Buckingham has something more important to think about. The defending Kansas Rails champion in the university and open pole vault competition will have his hands full with the competition he will face this season.
Among his challengers will be defending NCAA champion Paul Pilla of Arizona Buckingham defended two weeks ago. Also so successful is 18-foot pole vaulters: Bard Purser of Athens, Christian, former Arizona State player, and former KU great Terry Porter.
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Kansas file
Cordial competitors
KU''s Jeff Buckingham received congratulations from former Jayhawk standout Terry Post at last year's Kansas Rangers' pole vault challenge, Buckingham, defending pole vault champion in the open and university division of the Relys, will face stiff competition in the first round, the sophomore from Gardnin led 17-6 last week against Oregon in dual meet action.
Decathlon kicks off 55th Kansas Relays
The 55th Kansas Relays get underway today at noon with the first five events of the Jim Bauch decathlon in Memorial Stadium.
RAINBOLT, WHOSE specialty is the high jump, goes into the event as the favorite because of his record point total.
The lone KU entry in the 10-event classic Duel of Legends was held with 7,338 points. The Jawahyr bettered his previous record two weeks ago in the first leg of the Midwest Triple Thunder series.
Among the other top entrants are Greg Willey of South Dakota, Chris Whitney of Louisiana State and a pair of Southridge
Although he sat out last year's Relys, allbutbill figures to get his tougher companion, a former Alabama lawmaker, who finished second in last year's Kansas Relys decadal has a personal connection.
Track Club members, David Anderson and Tim Hooker.
Today's five events include the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400-meter dash. Tomorrow's event are the 100-meter distance, pole vault, javelin and 150-meter run.
Jenner, the former Graceland star, holds the Kansas Relays record in the event after racking up 8240 points in 1974.
The completion of the decathlon will be tomorrow at noon. Also tomorrow is the Billy Mills 10,000-meter run at 3 a.m. and the women's open's 5,000-meter run at 3:40 p.m.
IN THE PAST, some of the world's premier athletes have competed in the Relays decathlon, including the current world champion Edder and Olympic champion, Bruce Jenner.
THE BULK of the Relays action will take place Friday and Saturday, concluding Sunday morning with the marathon run.
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