Parker Doomey admits it — he’s a daredevil. That accounts for why the Ramona senior enjoys cliff diving in Black Canyon as well as riding on a fiberglass pole more than 15 feet off the ground, hopefully into a soft landing pit, for the Bulldogs track team. Clearing 15-feet, 6-inches in a dual meet just days after soaring 15-4 at the Arcadia Invitational, Doomey is now approaching the school record of 16-1 set almost 40 years ago by Pat Alduenda way back in 1987. That’s quite an improvement for someone who finished last season with a best of 14-feet. Up, up and away — without the balloon. “I cleared it by three to six inches, so I know I have more in me,” said Doomey who has signed with Wingate University in North Carolina. “The school record? I’ll get it. “After last season, I joined the North County Pole Vault Club (coached by Mike Wagenveld and his son, Michael) and they worked on my form. Now, at school, Anthony Barrera helps me focus on every aspect to get consistent.” At 6-foot and 155-pounds, Doomey’s track career started as a sprinter, and speed is one of the ingredients in making a good pole vaulter. He worked in the weight room in the offseason to build up his strength and, although he had no gymnastics background, he has mastered the technical intricacies of the event. “Now I wish I’d done gymnastics, but I was too busy playing football, basketball and soccer,” said Doomey. He brings the one absolutely necessary ingredient to the event: fearlessness. “I’ve crashed a few times,” he admits. “When I was going for 15-6, I came back down on the runway but when my feet touched down, I rolled, so I wasn’t injured. I’ve gone out the back of the pit and sideways, but nothing serious. “You really don’t think about that when you’re vaulting. Once you plant the pole, there are a lot of things you click off. When I cleared 15-6, I started celebrating the moment I went over the bar because I knew I had it.” That’s a dangerous — but natural — reaction to soaring higher than you’ve ever gone. You could understand what a thrill it was for someone who gravitated to the pole vault as a 9th-grader. “I didn’t want to run distance when I went out for track as a freshman, so I was a sprinter at first,” Doomey said. “The pole vault looked like a lot of fun, so I decided to give it a try.” Like so many track events, there was no instant success. He cleared 7-feet in his first meet and 9-9 in the Valley League finals before placing 24th in the section at 9-5. All that did was motivate Doomey to go to work on his new adventure a year later and although he cleared 13-feet at the Escondido Invitational, he could only go 12-feet at the Frosh-Soph Invitational and didn’t even compete in the divisionals. Although Doomey cleared 14-feet in a dual meet as a junior, consistency continued to plague him as he could only go 13 in the Valley League finals to place third and finished 10th in the D2 championships at the same height. Realizing he had the talent but would need to go higher and be more consistent, he joined Wagenveld’s club and in his first meet at the Reno Summit in January, he soared a personal-best 14-4. It was just the start as he got four individual bests, including the 15-4, 15-6 five days apart. “I’m on a 15-170 pole but to get 16 I’m going to a 15-175 which will give me more pop,” said Doomey of the pole that is 15-feet long and handles vaulters up to 175 pounds. “I admit sometimes I watch other vaulters. I’ll always try something new in practice. Recently a coach at a meet gave me a tip and I’ve had great success with it.” In the end, though, Doomey has just one goal. Sure, he wants the school record and to qualify for the state meet in Clovis by clearing 15-2 or better in the section championship meet, but it’s not that complicated. “I want to fly high,” he said succinctly.