Dexter unveiled The Gerstner Gate to honor coaches Geoff and Janell Gerstner, whose 20 years of dedication built one of the nation’s most successful high school pole vault programs.
By Jude Crittenden
Photo: Rainbow over The Gerstner Gate, June 7, 2025. Courtesy Jude Crittendon
At the east corner of Dexter High School’s football field, straddling a dirt-gravel path, stands a 16-foot-tall archway called The Gerstner Gate. Sometime this past spring, workers quickly, quietly and completely unnoticed by the general public, erected this monument honoring the most dominant coaching duo in Dexter’s history….possibly one of the most prolific pairing of coaches, in any sport, in any high school, in America over the past two decades.
The drama and pageantry of high school football teams are the central focus of American books and movies. The exploits of storied basketball programs make it to the big screen with heavyweight actors playing lead roles. Baseball has always laid claim to being America’s sport
Yet, for over two decades, commuters returning home to Dexter from a long day at work would routinely notice kids practicing an arcane sport, holding exceptionally long fiberglass poles in their hands, in the field sandwiched between the Al Ritt football stadium and the Baker and Dan Hoey Road(s) roundabout.
In out-of-the-way Dexter, MI, an obscure, unheralded and typically unnoticed sport that exactingly develops athleticism, power, discipline and the intellect of its athletes also demands excellent teaching, mentoring and, above all else, great coaching.
Pole vaulting is not like sprints, distance or other field events where sheer speed, power and athletic ability can win the day. The development of a pole vaulter requires arduous practice, precise mastery of technique and a mind-set in its competitors that is radically different than most other sports.
Pole vaulting is an individual-centered sport pursued in a team environment.
Most of all though, pole vaulting is a sporting event that focuses all the attention on the individual athlete but cannot exist without the coach.
Coaches Geoff and Janell Gerstner are two of Dexter’s hidden gems and The Gerstner Gate stands as a testament from the Dexter pole vault community in recognizing the contributions of this dynamic and selfless coaching duo.
The husband and wife Gerstner team began coaching pole vault in Dexter in 2002. Geoff vaulted in high school and college and is a recently retired professor at the University of Michigan. As the father of a high school-aged daughter, Geoff was drawn to coaching when he became disgruntled with the low level of female participation in his favorite sport. Janell, a nurse by training, was the field marshal for the Dexter pole vault team, managing and coordinating any and all the behind-the-scenes facets required for a new organization that began growing in complexity immediately after they assumed the helm.
During their 20 years with the Dexter High School Track & Field team, Geoff and Janell have coached over 400 vaulting athletes. And their team’s accomplishments have become legendary within the pole vault community. Coaches Gerstner’s on-field accomplishments include, but are not limited to:
9 – State of Michigan Champions
16 – State of Michigan Runner-ups (2nd Place)
65 – All State Athletes
183 – State Meet Qualifiers
23 – Regional Champions
28 – Regional Runner-ups (2nd place)
187 – School Records
25 – Dexter Athletes Vaulted in College
By any statistical measure, the Coaches Gerstner might just be the most dominant pole vault coaching team in any high school in the USA. Winning a state championship, in any sport, is a rare and significant accomplishment. The Coaches Gerstner won close to half of all the Michigan state championships during their two-decade tenure.
In 2021, at the Nike Outdoor High School National Championships held at the University of Oregon, 23 of the most elite boys and 21 of the most elite girls in the United States squared off. Forty-four of the best high school pole vault athletes assembled for this final meet. And four of the pole vaulters were from Dexter High School. 10% of the student athletes competing for the top spot in America were Coaches Gerstner’s kids.
To put the Gerstner’s athletic coaching accomplishments in perspective, one must recognize that Dexter High School doesn’t recruit athletes. The Gerstners simply take any and all students who try out for their teams and then develop each and every student athlete to his or her athletic and personal potential.
No student is ever cut from the team, rather, a strong team bond develops and is nurtured.
The pole vault team in Dexter is a family.
After the 2021 National Championship, one of Coaches Gerstner’s athletes was interviewed for a newspaper article and stated….
Dexter’s pole vault program would not be as successful without the excellent coaches. Geoff and Janell Gerstner (Coach and Janell as we call them) show commitment and devotion for each and every single vaulter that is a part of their program. Their support and ability to make every practice enjoyable makes it easy for vaulters to reach their full potential.
After this competition, another pole vaulter answered the interviewer…..
Aside from the work that the vaulter’s put into their own success, the team’s overall success is because of Coach and Janell. Out of all of the coaches I’ve had in the different sports I’ve participated in throughout the years, I can say that my closest relationship has been with my pole vault coaches. They put 110 percent into everything they do to help the team. They work to accommodate the needs of the athletes whether that be new strategies to improve their vault or even changing practice times that will allow for more people to attend.
Coach and Janell are amazing in the sense that they have set up an organized and helpful vaulting program/club that allows beginner vaulters to try their new sport and experienced vaulters to continue improving their technique. Not only that, but our coaches have the best attitudes that makes practice 10 times more enjoyable. We always joke about how enthusiastic Coach is at pole vault meets – we take videos of our vaults at the meets and you can always see Coach jumping up and down in the background when someone makes a bar.
In June 2022, Coaches Gerstner took one of their Dexter High School pole vaulters to Grand Rapids, MI to compete in the State of Michigan High School championships. And, their vaulter did, indeed, become the first female athlete to win back-to-back State championships.
When the pole vaulter was asked what her motivations were going into the championship meet, the vaulter simply stated….
Although I was tired, physically beat-up and not feeling as energetic as I had hoped, I wanted to win back-to-back titles. I also wanted to win for my team and I wanted to win for Geoff and Janell. I wanted to live up to their expectations. They’re family.
Coaches Geoff and Janell Gerstner are part of Dexter’s family. And their gate will stand as a testament to their athletic coaching prowess and, most importantly, the lasting impact their 20 years involvement will have on the lives of the 414 student-athletes, our kids, they coached, mentored and helped grow.
It’s quite a legacy recognizing that everyone that has walked in “The Gerstner Gate” walked out “better” for the experience.
8123 Main St Suite 200 Dexter, MI 48130
