The Family

Vika Osipenko was a pole vaulter at Atlee High School and at the University of Virginia. After years of urging by her dad, Coach Val, she finally picked up pole vaulting in the middle of the Outdoor Season her senior year at Atlee High School.

It was the first year that the girl’s pole vault was an official scoring event.  She set District, Regional and numerious meet records (most of which were later broken by another Xtreme Heights vaulter, Kira Barcus) that year on her road to placing 4th at the Virginia State meet with a jump of 9 feet 6 inches.

After graduation she went on to the University of Virginia where during her freshman year she set the outdoor school pole vault record with a jump of 11 feet 8 inches.  After her dad took over the pole vault coaching position at UVA for her last two years of college, she went on to improve her perfomances both indoor and outdoor to 12 feet 6 inches.  In the process she set both school records in the event, and placed 3rd at the Atlantic Coast Conference during the 2003 Indoor Season, earning All-ACC honors.

She graduated from UVA in 2003 with a Bachelors degree in Economics and Russian Literature.  She is currently preparing to matriculate at the Darden School of Business where she will pursue a Masters in Business Administration. She stays involved with Xtreme Heights by administrating the website, and serving as a marketing and public relations advisor for the club.

Val Osipenko (“Little Val”) also pole vaulted for Atlee High School and for several seasons for University of Virginia.  In high school he had a personal best of 14 feet 9 inches indoor, and 15 feet 1 inch outdoor.  During his successful high school career he won and set records at many invitational meets, including FIT and FUMA and was a three year champion at the East Coast Invitational.  9th at outdoor nationals.

Unfortunately his college career was interrupted early by a persistent injury.

Currently he is the assistant coach for Xtreme Heights.  Along with Coach Val he helps the athletes reach their goals at every practice, while also getting back into training himself.

Sasha Osipenko is a former Level 7 gymnast and currently Pole Vaults for Saint Catherine’s School. She started out her High School pole vault career at Atlee High School, but switched to St. Catherine’s sophomore year to pursue a more rigorous academic program. She jumped 10’3″ outdoor Freshman year to place 2nd in the Central District and got 3rd in the Central Region in indoor. Sophmore year she won the private school indoor and outdoor LIS Championship, breaking the school record with a jump of 11 feet. She also won the indoor VISAA State Championship and placed 3rd outdoor. This year, as a junior, she won the indoor LIS and VISAA Championships. So far in outdoor she has broken her own school record and jumped 11’3″.