MONTAGUE — Marco Tamburini vaults himself as high as 13 1/2 feet in the air with a broken hip. Yes, the 17-year-old competes in pole vault with a broken hip suffered a couple years ago doing what else — pole vaulting.
A snapped pole was not going to deter the Ravenna competitor during Friday’s Greater Muskegon Athletic Association track and field meet at Montague’s Townsend Athletic Complex.
Tamburini, an exchange student from Verona, Italy, was not injured and nor was anybody else during the rare occurence. He landed on the mat, got up, and grabbed a bigger pole. Coincidentally, he roughed himself up a bit on the next attempt when he actually missed the mat but still emerged with a smile on his face.
Photo sequence of pole snapping
Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
The 5-foot-7, 143-pound Tamburini, who set a personal-record of 13 feet, 6 inches, in winning the pole vault competition during last week’s Kent City Elite Invite, finished fifth in Friday’s GMAA meet with a jump of 11-0.
Tamburini’s teammate, senior Caleb Jonas, placed third in pole vault with a PR of 12-0. Whitehall senior Ca’Mar Ready won the event at the GMAA meet with an effort of 12-6.
Tamburini’s countryman and friend Daniele Tomasi, an exchange student at Holton, finished second in the meet with a height of 12-0. Tomasi was an Under-18 national champ in decathlon in Italy.
Watch the video at the top of this story to see Tamburini’s pole snap and to hear from him as well as Ravenna track and field coach Katie Tumele.
Check out more photos in the gallery below to see Tamburini competing.
Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
