Marion Jones highlights Golden Spike event held at Weaver

Two dramatically different events — and the athletes that won them — captured the attention of Princeton and the track and field community at the Golden Spike Tour Open at the Princeton Invitational May 13.

The meet was a rare spectacle, especially for Princeton track. While the men's lacrosse and basketball teams may be accustomed to ESPN camera crews and major brand-name sponsors setting up shop in their venues, this was not an everyday event for the track team.

The media spotlight had been on Marion Jones for the week leading up to the event. It was her first 100 meter race of the outdoor season and the first step this year for her quest to catch Florence Griffith Joyner and her world record.

But it was a very different event — and the drama surrounding it — that dominated the crowd's attention.

Lawrence Johnson had been thinking about going after the world record in the men's pole vault. He liked the track and the conditions. He even had a field of world-class competitors — including Olympic medal winner Nick Hysong — to push him over the 20-foot, 1-inch record.

The only thing he didn't have was luck.

On a practice jump during his warm up, Johnson missed the huge blue landing mat and injured his hip. There was some doubt as to whether or not the reigning world indoor champion was going to be able to compete at all; the injury caused him to severely favor his left side, the side from which he takes off.

After passing on the first several heights — and limping through an extended warm up — Johnson stepped onto the runway, facing a height of 18-10.25 for his first competitive jump of the day.

The pole vault is an event that looks like it should never be possible, even for a healthy individual. An athlete sprints down a long runway, carrying an enormous pole and just before he runs into a collection of huge, blue foam pads, he sticks the pole into the ground and propels himself into the air.

At this point the pole bends almost exactly in half and the athlete hangs in the air for what seems like an eternity, suspended not above the soft landing space, but above the hard, rough track surface he has just covered. If he has built up enough momentum on the runway, the pole will spring back up and push the vaulter over the bar. If not, the best he can hope for is to knock the bar off its resting place and land safely on the mat.

Now picture trying to run down that runway and throw yourself into the air with a hip that won't even work properly when you're just walking around. This is the challange that faced Lawrence Johnson when he limped into the competition.

It was no surprise then that Johnson seemed to need some extra help revving himself up for his first attempt. Clapping his hands over his head with the pole resting on one shoulder was more than just playing to the crowd; it was an a gesture intended to convince himself he could still clear the bar as much as it was intended to incite a crowd that seemed to be taking an early afternoon nap.

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So when Johnson flew down the runway for the first time, planted the pole and hung in the air, it was understandable that the crowd went absolutely silent. No one in the stands knew if he had the legs to clear any height, maybe not even Johnson himself.

He had the legs. In fact, he had legs to spare.

Johnson not only ended up winning the pole vault with a height of 19-2.25, he also made three strong attempts at the American record of 19-9.75.

"There's no question in my mind I would've had the American record without that [accident] happening," Johnson told US Track and Field. "If I can jump like this when I'm injured, I expect to get 19-10 easily before long."

Just as Johnson was making his impaired run at the record book, one of Princeton's best was competing roughly 100 feet away.

Men's high jumper Tora Harris '01 was the Tigers' most successful performer of the meet, finishing second behind unattached jumper Henry Patterson. Both athletes cleared 2.26 meters (roughly seven feet, five inches), leaving Harris just below the Princeton record he set last year.

And then, of course, there was Marion Jones.

The last event of the day featured none of the drama or uncertainty that marked both Johnson and Harris' events. With the exception of one false start by Jones herself, the Verizon women's 100 meter race ran as smoothly as the first lady of track's stride.

The Olympic gold medal winner cruised to a confident win in a time of 11.12, leaving her closest opponent almost a quarter of a second behind her.

"[My time] was bit slow compared to what I've done in the past, but overall I think I felt pretty good about it," Jones said. "Sure I was disappointed with the time, but it was my first 100 of the year. I really can't complain."

Jones also took about half an hour between her race and the press conference to greet her fans. She walked through the packed stands in Weaver Stadium shaking hands and signing autographs for anyone interested.

"It's only the right thing to do," Jones said of her autograph signing. "[The people in the crowd] stayed around to watch me compete and were as enthusiastic as they were. I think it's the only thing that you can do. I feel a certain sense of responsibility."