Mike Tully

Michael ("Mike") Scott Tully (born October 21, 1956) is an American pole vaulter. He represented the United States twice in the Olympics, earning a silver in 1984, and held the American pole vault record from 1984 to 1985.

Early career

He was born in Long Beach, California.^[1] Tully went to college at UCLA and was the NCAA champion in the pole vault in 1978 with a height of 5.53 metres.^[2] He won three national titles in 1977, 1979 and 1986.^[3] He also took the AAA Championships in 1976 and 1979 and the French championship in 1977.^[4][5]

He enjoyed great success at the Mt. SAC Relays, winning four pole vault titles, each at a meet record height. His last victory came at a height exactly one foot higher than the first. He also holds the distinction of being the first vaulter to clear 18 feet in the competition. His efforts earned him the honor of induction into the Mt. SAC relays hall of fame in 1994.^[6]

International career

Tully won the first two World Cup competitions, the 1977 and 1979 IAAF World Cup.^[7] He competed at the 1983 World Championships without registering a valid mark.^[8] In a one-month period in 1984 he raised the American record three times by a total of almost three inches. He concluded the season with a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games.^[1] He took the American record from Jeff Buckingham,^[9] but his national record was broken in 1985.

At the Pan American Games he won gold medals in 1983 and 1987 Pan American Games, both times with championship records, first 5.45 metres then 5.71 metres.^[10] He also finished fourth at the 1986 Goodwill Games.^[11]

References

1984 USA Olympic Track & Field Team Qualification 1984 United States Olympic Trials (track and field) Men's track & road athletes Ray Armstead Alonzo Babers Kirk Baptiste Ron Brown Tonie Campbell Don Clary Paul Cummings Brian Diemer Marco Evoniuk Greg Foster Sam Graddy Johnny Gray John Gregorek Danny Harris Tranel Hawkins Jim Heiring Thomas Jefferson Earl Jones Roger Kingdom Steve Lacy Carl Lewis Henry Marsh John Marshall Antonio McKay Walter McCoy Edwin Moses Sunder Nix Daniel O'Connor Vince O'Sullivan Doug Padilla Pete Pfitzinger Pat Porter Alberto Salazar Carl Schueler Steve Scott Calvin Smith Willie Smith Jim Spivey John Tuttle Craig Virgin Men's field athletes Duncan Atwood Willie Banks Earl Bell Tim Bright Edward Burke Art Burns Michael Carter Mike Conley, Sr. John Crist Milton Goode Bill Green Al Joyner Dave Laut Carl Lewis Jud Logan Doug Lytle Mike McRae Larry Myricks Doug Nordquist Tom Petranoff John Powell Steve Roller Dwight Stones Mike Tully Mac Wilkins Augie Wolf Jim Wooding Women's track & road athletes Evelyn Ashford Sharrieffa Barksdale Joan Benoit Jeanette Bolden Cindy Bremser Valerie Brisco-Hooks Alice Brown Judi Brown Julie Brown Robin Campbell Chandra Cheeseborough Mary Decker Diane Dixon Benita Fitzgerald-Brown Kim Gallagher Randy Givens Florence Griffith Joyner Joan Hansen Denean Howard Sherri Howard Julie Isphording Missy Kane Lillie Leatherwood Pam Page Diana Richburg Kim Turner Angela Wright-Scott Ruth Wysocki Women's field athletes Jodi Anderson Carol Cady Laura De Snoo Leslie Deniz Cindy Greiner Lorna Griffin Joni Huntley Jackie Joyner Carol Lewis Ramona Pagel Louise Ritter Karin Smith Pam Spencer Lynda Suffin Cathy Sulinski Angela Thacker Coaches —