Dave Volz

Dave Volz was a pole vaulter who competed at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He was a student at Indiana University, where he won the 1981 NCAA title, then finished third at the NCAAs in 1982. Volz twice set American vault records in 1982, with 5.73 in Durham, NC in June, and then 5.75 in Nice in August. Volz later won a bronze medal at the 1985 World University Games.

Volz is actually best known for a technique he pioneered, later called “Volzing,” in which he steadied, or even replaced, the bar in mid-air during the vault. It was later banned by the IAAF. Volz settled in his hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, where he became a vice-president of Cook, Inc., which is involved in the production of medical devices. All three of his sons became high school and college pole vaulters.

Personal Best: PV – 5.80 (1992), 5.80i (1986).