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COLLEGE TRACK & FIELD: OWEGO’S SNYDER SIGNS WITH ALBANY (2023-05-22)

By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
OWEGO — Gabe Snyder will be taking his pole vaulting skills to the University at Albany this fall. The Owego senior signed his National Letter of Intent Monday.

While checking out schools he found the Great Danes could use some vaulters.

“We were looking at Division I schools, but a lot of them already have vaulters and Albany just graduated a couple vaulters last year, and they were in need of some, so I took the opportunity,” Snyder said.

He hopes to contribute to the program in more ways than just as a competitor.

“I'm hoping to help any other vaulters that are up and coming once I become like an upperclassman,” he said. “They have a freshman coming up. He jumps like 13, 13-6, and they have a couple girls vaulters that are also coming up with me, and I just want to help the program as much as I can.”

“Gabe's an extremely talented athlete,” Owego track & field coach Scott Senko said. “I have had the pleasure of working with him over the last three years.

“When I talked him into coming out for track, I was like, ‘you need to run track.’ I thought he was actually going to run track,” he laughed. “He doesn't run track. I have not been able to get him to run. I have tried and tried and tried. He is definitely one of my fastest kids, but just won't get out there, but it's been a pleasure watching him pole vault. To see where he came from as a sophomore jumping 10 feet and then last year we were 11-6, I think, and this year, 14-1 right now and ranked really high in the state.

The 14-1 mark, which he set April 22 at the Square Deal Invite in Johnson City, is currently the fifth best in the state, according to athletic.net.

“He really went the extra mile this summer. He spent time training with coach (Jim) Cerra in Vestal. I believe he went to pole vault camp this summer. He worked with the coach at Lansing, who's one of the best coaches in the area for the pole vault. He's put in the work, he watched hours of YouTube videos on how to do it and learned all the small pieces of the technique that he needed to get there.”

Albany was the America East runner-up this season.  

Snyder said he might change his major, but for now it’s business administration.

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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.

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