The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
NCAA champ Ludwig has precise, tough regimen
Lake Catholic graduate attacks practice to perform well at meets
AKRON » Life as an NCAA champion for Matt Ludwig doesn’t mean resting on the accomplishment.
Winning the NCA A Outdoor pole vault event last spring for the University of Akron was life-changing in some respects, but it hasn’t changed the way Ludwig goes about his daily routine.
That’s because the Lake Catholic graduate goes as hard in practice as he does in meets. It’s done with a purpose — to strive for greatness. That means putting in the work on a daily basis — not to repeat as NCAA champion — but continuing trying to master the tricky trade of pole vaulting.
“It’s always a continual thing with this event,” said Ludwig, a junior from Concord Township.
Pole vaulting demands a great deal from a track athlete: Precise technique and full-body control while keeping oneself in top shape. Or as longtime Zips track and field coach Dennis Mitchell says: “You have to be strong, fast, explosive, coordinated and fearless.”
It’s no wonder then when a Feb. 14 practice at Akron’s field house was complete, Ludwig looked like someone who ran a marathon, did numerous wind sprints and weight trained every muscle in his body — all in a little more than hour.
That’s the price to pay to be one of the nation’s elite. Not only is Ludwig the defending NCAA outdoor champion, he has the nation’s No. 2 pole vault mark this indoor season.
During his Feb. 14 practice, Ludwig completed eight vaults with a full approach that spans about 150 feet. The rest was speed work, agility work on a gymnastics bar, weightroom training, video analysis and discussion with Mitchell after every vault.
Performing just one vault in practice is taxing on the body, said Ludwig. Eight pushes him to the limit, he said. Mitchell describes the completion of a vault similar to a football player sprinting 50 yards to the 1, then getting met by a host of defenders at the goal line, and pushing past the goal line.
“Every part of your body is in motion,” said Mitchell.
The purpose of the tough practices “pretty much means everything,” said Ludwig, who last season transferred to Akron from the University of Missouri.
“From Day 1, we’ve done full approach (in practice), and it was very different for me not being used to it,” said Ludwig. “That’s one thing that translated to my success. Everything we do (in practice) has a purpose. It’s so that motion and feeling can translate to the meets.”
The work in practice never gets easier for Ludwig.
“It’s get more exhausting the more I do it,” he said. “In high school, I could do 40 jumps in a day and it wouldn’t be an issue. But the more you progress in the sport, every jump and every motion starts to become a full-body workout. You’re engaging more muscles than you did previously. I did eight jumps today, and eight was enough.”
The payoff is in the form of results, which have been fine for Ludwig. At the Feb. 9 Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark., he outperformed top-ranked Chris Nilsen of South Dakota with a vault of 18 feet, 5.5 inches. Ludwig was second to Mondo Duplantis, the world junior record holder, who went 18-9.5. The invitational was an open event.
The conclusion of the indoor season is fast approaching. The Mid-American Conference meet is Feb. 23 and 24 at Bowling Green, followed by the NCAA indoor meet at Texas A&M March 9 and 10. Ludwig has already qualified for that. That allows Ludwig some breathing room, but don’t expect him to let up in practice.
“I really enjoy the opportunity to work out something, especially when it comes to just the pole vault,” said Ludwig. “Drills are fun, but nothing gets you better at pole vaulting than pole vaulting.”
On average, Ludwig jumps twice a week in practice, then competition. The reason is continuous practice
of pole vaulting “will beat you up,” said Mitchell.
The Akron coach said practice is never the time to have his vaulters attack new heights. The bar is set anywhere between 17 and 18 feet for Ludwig during practice, even though his best vault this season (186.75) exceeds that.
“It’s about rhythm, and being able to do the exact same thing on every vault,” said Ludwig. “If you start pushing the bar up, you realize your jumps are stiffer and more forced. When you’re gritting your teeth, that takes away from that rhythm you strive for.”
At the heart of it all, Mitchell tries to keep things in perspective during practice — not just for Ludwig, but all his track and field athletes.
“It’s important to let them know they don’t have to always be perfect,” he said. “What you do have to work on is a certain amount of consistency. Then you learn to trust yourself even when things aren’t perfect, and you can adjust.”