BACK TO MAKE MARK LOCAL POLE VAULTER RETURNS FROM INJURY.

Byline: Kirby Lee Special to the Daily News

Mel Mueller was in peak form for the 2001 World Track and Field Championships in Edmonton, Alberta.

The Simi Valley resident cleared 15 feet, 1 3/4 inches to move to No. 2 on the all-time U.S. women's pole-vault list. But the vault wasn't made in front of a sold-out Commonwealth Stadium, rather to the applause of a few passers-by at a low-key street-vault competition in Clovis a day before the competition in Edmonton.

Mueller had been unable to qualify for the U.S. world-championship team at the USATF championships after being sidelined for two months by knee surgery, which involved the removal of scar tissue that covered three quarters of her left kneecap.

``It was the kind of hurry up and get back and do what you can do so you can compete, but I wasn't ready for nationals,'' Mueller said. ``It's hard because in a sense, I knew that I should be there. I threw away a year, but when your longtime goal is 2004, one year between really doesn't matter.''

Mueller, who will compete in the 43rd Los Angeles indoor invitational Saturday at the Sports Arena, hopes to make amends this season in her pursuit of a berth in the world championship this summer in Paris.

In her season opener at the Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev., last month, Mueller cleared 14-4 to surpass her 2002 indoor best of 13-11 3/4 despite an abbreviated approach.

``I feel that I am basically back to 100 percent this year,'' Mueller said. ``There were still a lot of things in training that I couldn't do and didn't have the strength. It was one of those things that you kind of work through it.''

Mueller's mark in Clovis is recognized by the IAAF as an exhibition performance because of questions regarding the conditions and jumping facilities. The USATF accepts the effort for U.S. rankings.

But Mueller, 30, thinks it is moot. By the 2004 Olympics, Mueller expects the mark to be way down on the all-time list, and that the 16-foot mark will have been broken. Although Stacy Dragila, the world-record holder at 15-9 1/4, has dominated the event since it was ratified by the IAAF, Mueller projects Dragila to have plenty of competition in upcoming seasons.

``Stacy is a great ambassador and has been doing it the longest, but there is a lot of great talent coming up in high school,'' Mueller said. ``We never had that chance. I think 2004 will be interesting.''

So will 2003 for Mueller. The Wisconsin native moved to Los Angeles from Phoenix last year to work with UCLA coach Anthony Curran. She trains with three-time NCAA champion Tracy O'Hara of the Bruins and Mary Sauer, who is tied for second with Mueller on the all-time U.S. list.

The pole-vault competition Saturday also will include O'Hara, the seventh-ranked vaulter on the U.S. list. She is making a comeback from reconstructive surgery on her left foot that sidelined her for three months. O'Hara had a misaligned big toe broken and straightened, with a screw inserted for stabilization.

In addition to Mueller and O'Hara, the L.A. Invitational will include Kenya's Bernard Lagat, who will be seeking a record fifth L.A. victory in a row in the mile. The 50 meters will feature Angela Williams of USC.

L.A. INVITATIONAL

What: 43rd L.A. Invitational indoor track meet

Where: Sports Arena

When: Saturday

Facts: The meet begins at 9 a.m., with the boys' shot put and girls' discus at USC. The first running event is at 10:30 a.m. Invitational competition begins at 4:30 p.m. with the women's pole vault.

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L.A. INVITATIONAL (see text)