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Philadelphia is a city with a long standing love for track and field. We are excited to bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the young aspiring athletes. Our coaches have all competed or coached at the highest levels, and look forward to using that information to help you reach your goals. As equally important is the sense of community. The pole vault world is a small one, and we hope bringing people together by this common bond will create lasting memories and friendships.

"The only source of knowledge is experience." ~Albert Einstein

Coach Brian Mondschein

PR: 18'5 3/4"

Alma Mater: Virginia Tech

 

   Brian Mondschein is a retired elite level pole vaulter with a personal best of 18'5 3/4". Brian was a 2 time state championship in Pennsylvania, and 3 time NCAA All American for Virginia Tech as well as a 5 time Big East and ACC conference champion and 8 time All Conference.

   As an aspiring professional pole vaulter he finished as high as 2nd at the USA Championships. He held USA rankings as high as number 7 and top 30 rankings wolrd wide. He competed in the 2008 Olympic Trials and the 2010 European Championships. 

   During his time compete on the international level, Brian was a student of the event, learning from some of the top coaches world wide. His top menteors include;

Bob Phillips from Virginia Tech, whom many regaurd as one of the best coaches in the NCAA 

Steve Rippon - Current National coach for finland, and previous national coach and found of the Great Britain high performance center.

Earl Bell - 3 time olympian and former world record holder. Runs Bell Athletics which has produced more olympians than any other training center in the united states, including former American record holder Jeff Hartwig (Pr 19'9.5")

    Brian comes from a long line of high level track and field coaches. His grandfather Irving "Moon" Mondschein was the head coach at University of Pennsylvania for over 20 years. He also held coaching positions at LaSalle, Villanova, and Kutztown University. On an international level, he coached on the US Olympic Team in 1988, and head up the first ever Israeli Olympic Team in 1952. Brians uncle and namesake is the current womens coach at Princeton after having built successfull programs in Kutztown and Southeast Louisiana.

   Brian also spent 4 years as a volunteer assistant for Virginia Tech, and is excited to continue bringing his knowledge and experience to the Philadelphia track and field community. 

Coach Talen Singer

PR: 16'6"

Alma Mater: West Chester University

 

    Talen Singer enters his tenth season with Villanova University as the  horizontal and vertical jumps coach for both the men's and women's teams.  Since joining the Wildcats coaching staff, Singer has guided his athletes to a total of 30 All-BIG EAST honors while mentoring 10 individual BIG EAST champions. He has seen the school record in the women's pole vault be broken by six different athletes in the last five years alone, and overall has coached all of the top 10 women's pole vaulters in school history.  Talen has coached 16 girls over the 12’ foot mark, 5 achieving the height of 13 feet or higher.  Alex Wasik leading the college vaulters with a mark of 4.22(13 ft 10 in).  Talen also worked with post collegiate vaulter Janice Keppler whose pr is 4.60m(15 ft 1 in).
    Singer is a founding board member of the National Pole Vault Safety Certification Board (PVSCB) and has completed the level 1 USATF track and field certification, Level 2 Jumps Certification and completed Level 3 USATF pole vault classes.  Talen completed the USTFCCCA track field coaches certification and has holds certifications the higher level the USTFCCCA specialist courses the jumps and the multi events. 
     Along with coaching vaulters, Singer has also coached two of the top three women's high jumpers in school history in addition to working with the Villanova program's top athletes in the long jump and the triple jump. Elbert Maxwell, just to name one whose pr is 25 ft 4 in. in the long jump.
   In addition to his coaching duties at Villanova, Singer spent 12 years as a coach at Phoenixville Area High School, first as the jumps coach and then as the head coach of both the boys' and girls' programs. As head coach at Phoenixville, Singer led his teams to three PAC-10 championships, including two on the boys side and one with the girls team. On an individual level, he mentored numerous district, state and national medalists.

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