Eric Daniel clears bar as Vikings legend
Former Siuslaw multi-sport standout named to Siuslaw Athletics Hall of Fame
HOF Class of 2024:
Eric Daniel - Forrest Lewis - Alaura Little - Guy Mamac -
Max Perry - Katy Potter - Trevor May - Tyler May
The induction-dinner is 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, at the Florence Events Center.
By Don Hunt
Siuslaw graduate and Siuslaw Hall of Fame member
The pole vault competition at the Class 3A state track meet in 1999 was spirited and razor-thin close.
Siuslaw’s Eric Daniel and Brandon Lockman, best friends since second grade, Myrtle Point’s Caleb Krantz and David Martin of Sisters cleared height after height after height as fans on the east side of Hayward Field — who were near the event — roared their approval.
For two hours, none of the four flinched. Eventually, each cleared 14 feet, 10 inches but failed to go higher. However, Daniel and Lockman eliminated the other two because the Viking vaulters had fewer misses. That left Daniel and Lockman tied for first, and that scenario necessitated a jump-off. And Lockman prevailed.
“I was really happy for him,” said Daniel, who was selected into the Siuslaw Sports Hall of Fame this week along with seven other Viking standouts. “We grew up vaulting together in Florence and became best friends.”
Daniel and Lockman were both selected in 2023 to the school’s hall of fame, but Daniel deferred until this year.
Earlier this week, Max Perry was the first 2024 inductee announced. The other six will be revealed at a later date. The hall of fame ceremony and banquet will be held 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, at the Florence Events Center.
Daniel excelled in the triple jump, where he had a best of 40 feet, one inch, and the javelin (159-8), but his passion was the vault. He and Lockman took a big leap forward after attending a clinic in Southern California when they were freshmen.
“We didn’t do much vaulting,” recalled Daniel, now a plumbing contractor in Medford. “It was all about technical drills and fundamentals. We took that home with us and it really helped us going forward. We had a much better idea of what to do in practice.”
Daniel and Lockman, who became two of the first high school vaulters in Oregon to wear helmets when competing, also occasionally honed their skills at the University of Oregon. Siuslaw coach Chris Johnson would loan them his Toyota 4Runner, and the boys strapped their poles to the side mirrors of the vehicle as they took off for Eugene.
“It was a brand-new rig and coach (Johnson) let us borrow it,” said Daniel. “He was young and stupid back then, like us.”
Along with track, Daniel ran cross country and played basketball, where he was an undersized but feisty post player who stood up to bigger opponents and took offensive fouls.
“I always had bruised elbows,” he said.
Daniel had a desire to play football, but was advised not to after he lost a non-functioning kidney in infancy.
“And so I had to suffer through Chris Johnson’s cross country practices,” said Daniel with a laugh. “But it was all in good fun.”