Raphael Gelo looking for another college to keep competing after sophomore year
Raphael Gelo graduated from International Falls High School in 2008 after setting a school record in the boys pole vault that still stands today and moved onto the collegiate ranks to set another school record this year at Bemidji State University.
With two years of college eligibility left, he now faces leaving BSU to be able to still compete in the pole vault after the university announced earlier this year it will discontinue the men’s indoor and outdoor track and field programs, effective at the end of the 2010-11 academic year.
Gelo’s sophomore season at BSU featured him competing in both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Division II championships. To qualify for the latter, Gelo set BSU’s current school record of 16 feet, 5 1/2 inches.
He said automatic qualifiers to the championship outdoor field were those who reached 16-10 in competition, but he had to wait to receive word whether he’d have the opportunity to compete nationally after clearing the 15-10 provisional mark with his school record-breaking performance.
Gelo, who is from Kabetogama, was one of 17 pole vaulters in the championship outdoor field. However, he was also one of six competitors who failed to record a height when he started at 15-10 and was unsuccessful in three attempts.
During the indoor championships in March, Gelo cleared 15-11 to place 11th.
The top height he has reached in college is almost two feet above the Falls High School record-setting vault of 14-7 at the 2008 Section 7A meet, a Section record that also remains today.
Gelo, who redshirted a season upon first arriving at BSU, said his pole vaulting technique has improved since competing in college.
“In high school I was not very technical,” he said.
Gelo qualified for the state Class A meet in three consecutive seasons. He finished first in 2007, placed runner-up in 2008 and came in fourth in 2006.
He credits Broncos assistant track and field coach Dan Zika for helping him and others be able to succeed in the pole vault at the high school level and beyond. Gelo’s older brother, Rhegy, who graduated from FHS in 2006, also qualified for the state meet in the pole vault and competed for BSU.
“Zika definitely has something good going on for him,” Gelo said.
Zika has described Gelo as someone with the “natural weight and size” to be a pole vaulter.
“Out of all the pole vaulters (I’ve coached, Gelo) had the most natural ability,” he said.
BSU head coach Craig Hougen said he found Gelo to be “a very gifted athlete out of International Falls.”
“He’s very coachable,” Hougen said. “He’s a student of the art of pole-vaulting.”
Hougen said he expects Gelo will “easily” be able to improve upon his pole-vaulting skills to reach the 17-foot mark.
Gelo said he has almost made 16-10, and his overall goal is to reach the 18-foot mark.
He said he presently is looking to transfer to another university to compete at next season, when he wouldn’t have to sit out a year because BSU plans to discontinue its men’s track and field program.
Gelo said he has been looking at some Division I and II universities in the Midwest where he could be offered a scholarship and transfer.
As someone looking to major in criminal justice with an interest in working for the Park Service or being a game warden, Gelo said he would like to transfer to a university that could both offer an academic program he is interested in and an opportunity to compete in track and field.
Provided he could exceed the 17-foot mark, Gelo said he would be interested in continuing to compete in the pole vault following his two remaining years of college eligibility, being that the age when most vaulters peak is in their mid 30s.
