Geoff Stiles, a cool competitor who makes few miscalculations, proved himself wrong Saturday.

"At the beginning of the season I wanted to do 17 feet and place in the NCAAs, but I didn't think I'd get a shot," he said.

Underestimations not with standing, superman Stiles leaped 17-ft 3-in. in a single bound to become the national collegiate pole vault champion last weekend in Detroit.

Not only did Stiles' vault distinguish him as All-American, it also established new Ivy League, New England, and Harvard records--while topping his IC4A record-setting vault and personal best by three inches.

Steadiness and control categorize both Stiles's mental state and improvement through his Crimson career.

"Geoff is remarkably calm, almost dispassionate," coach Bill McCurdy said yesterday, adding, "You saw it when he walked in as a freshman."

When Stiles arrived at the "Big H" he boasted a 14-ft. 6-in. personal best and a number ten ranking among high school vaulters in Souther California.

It All Started...

"I started pole vaulting in seventh grade because that year I ran the 75-yd. dash and lost every time, so I figured I'd better find a different event," the Palos Verdes native said.

Working out almost every day of his freshman year, Stiles captured the pole vault at the outdoor GBCs, registering a 13-inch improvement in less than a year.

Except for a change to a stiffer and longer pole, his style has remained more or less constant, although the Eliot House senior did have to make some adjustments since the short runway in Brigg's Cage cut more than 35 feet off his approach.

As if that weren't enough, Stiles had to remove the runway after each vaulting session to make space for the baseball team which also trained in Briggs.

"I look back and I can't believe I went through the trouble of putting down the runway every day," Stiles said. "I was just a freshman," he added.

Stiles' dedication paid off. As a sophomore, Stiles consistently hit 15-ft. 9-in. and won the majority of the local meets he entered.

Stiles continued his steady odyssey to the pinnacle of college vaulting last year by concentrating more on running and weight training than in previous years, and thus building up his strength.