Record Celebration |
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Richard Suhr |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | 1967 |
| Sport | |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Track and field athletics |
| Event(s) | Pole vault |
| Club | Suhr Sports |
| Now coaching | 1994 – Present |
Rick Suhr (pronounced like "sure") (born 1967) is an American Olympic level pole vaulting coach in Rochester, New York who coached the #1 women's vaulter in the World from beginner to World #1. In the last 6 years Suhr's athletes have won 15 National Championships and set 16 National Records in the pole vault at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. His most notable athlete, Jennifer Suhr has set the American Pole Vault Record 7 times and won the US National Championships 10 different times and is the only American woman ever to clear 16 feet. She also took first in the U.S. Olympic Trials during which she raised her own American Record in the process.[1][2] Other athletes include HS National Champions Dan Tierney, Tiffany Maskilinski, and Mary Saxer.
Suhr’s contribution to American pole vaulting has had tremendous impact at the grass roots and professional levels. He has improved pole vault safety and technique through clinics, public speaking, and his consultation service at the youth level. Suhr has been a big advocate in helping push professional pole vaulting back into the American Track and Field circuit. He has committed time and money at his own expense into the success of recent American pole vaulting.
Suhr’s success over the last 6 year period took the National pole vault scene by surprise. This drew incredible interest and criticism. Suhr is not particularly liked by his competitors, they consider him to be isolated and secluded, almost withdrawn. However, they do identify him to be at the highest expert level in what he does (pole vault technique). Suhr was quoted responding to criticism, "Success breeds incredible jealousy, first people say you are lucky, then they criticize your technique, then when they can no longer do that, they attack you personally and simply say “we don’t like his coaching style or philosophy”.[3] Suhr taught for several years with a degree in education.
Suhr is the youngest of four brothers who have had celebrated wrestling careers. Suhr’s background included: a State Championship in wrestling, All-American status and inductions into The Wrestling Hall of Fame and Spencerport Athletic Hall of Fame.[4] He and his brother John remain one of the few brother combinations to both win the New York State Wrestling Championships.
He founded Suhr Conditioning Systems in 1993 and built an indoor pole vault training facility behind his home in 1997. The business later became known as Suhr Sports. There he trained athletes from numerous disciplines including football, wrestling, and track and field.
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Since 2006, Suhr has exclusively coached Jennifer Stuczynski to 10 consecutive US Titles, 7 American pole vault records, Olympic Trials Record, and two World Medals (Olympic Silver). She remains the all-time highest American vaulter. On January 3, 2010, Stuczynski married Suhr, changing her name officially to Jennifer Lynn Suhr. They reside in Suhr's hometown of Rochester NY.