Vaulting duo leads team

At every indoor track meet, it seems either junior Dino Efthimiou or classmate Ian Curry wins the pole vault for the Hoosiers.\nEfthimiou has the edge on his teammate after finishing third in the Big Ten Outdoor Championships last year.\nBut Curry is nipping at his heels.\nAnd both could earn a spot in this year's NCAA championships.\nCoach Marshall Goss said he observed a great work ethic and potential in Curry, a product of Bloomington High School South.\n"Ian has exhibited flashes of great potential throughout his career," Goss said. "As he refines his technique, we will be expecting a more consistent performance from him."\nCurry finished in the top three in the six indoor meets in which he participated last season, and said he hopes to build on this success. He said his past performances are not up to Goss' or his own expectations.\n"I feel better about my jumping this year, and now, if I get a couple things worked out, I'll be at the height I want to go at," Curry said. "I might be progressing at a slower rate, but I think I can get my heights up with a little more work, and my height will pay off in that respect."\nFriday, Curry exploded past his career best, but would have surpassed it by even more if he had not tried to qualify for the NCAA Championships on his final jump. Curry came up short on his leap, but Goss said he was excited Curry wanted to try the new height. Starting Thursday, Curry will rely on a new pole to help him attain that height and qualify for the NCAAs. \n"The shorter pole should help me get upside-down and actually jump higher even though it's shorter," Curry said. "This should help me get where I'm supposed to be, which is 17 (feet) plus. \n"My first jump was pretty close last week, and I thought I had a good chance of going over. I know I can get that height at the next meet or two because I hit 17-plus last season."\nGoss is not the only person who has noticed Curry's determination. Efthimiou, a close friend, has enjoyed more success in the past, already reaching the provisional height for the NCAA Championships. But Efthimiou said he's glad Curry is a teammate instead of an opponent.\n"Since last year, he's corrected a lot of things he needs to do to jump higher," Efthimiou said. "He's so close to be being very good and jump high 17s to 18 (feet). There's no reason why we both shouldn't go to (the NCAA Championships). We're the two oldest guys on the pole vaulting squad. We help out the younger guys, and the younger guys help us out, too."\nBut Curry said he knows it will take more than a new pole to join Efthimiou as the Hoosiers' one-two punch at the NCAA meet.\n"For this year, I'd like to place high in the Big Ten (Championships) and get a national qualification. But I know that I'll go to Nationals while I'm here," Curry said. "I know it's going to take a lot of hard work to get my heights up, because most of what I have accomplished has been from hard work rather than natural ability"