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Brazil...
So I just got back to the hotel from the meet here in Rio and I wanted to do a blog post to get things off my chest, then I told myself I would put this trip behind me. I no-heighted at both Sao Paul and Rio. Frustration, anger, confusion, are all words I’m feeling. I know I am capable of jumping high because I displayed that earlier this year. My practices coming into this trip were some of the best practices of my life. I know my abilities don’t just disappear overnigh … Read more
Sun May 20th, 2012
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Disappointment in Doha
So I was all excited to go to Doha, Qatar for the first Diamond League of the year. I figured hot weather would be the perfect place to jump high! Well I don’t know what it was exactly, but from the start of warmups I felt super off. I was having trouble getting in a rhythm of any kind on the runway. I also wasn’t rolling over poles that I usually blow right through in warmup. Something was just off and I was having trouble figuring it out. I managed to clear my openi … Read more
Sun May 13th, 2012
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Drake Recap
Oh Drake Relays…famous for being great weather leading up to the meet and right after, but being crappy during the meet haha. So Saturday was the elite vault competition and as predicted it was in the upper 40s when we vaulted. A lot of the girls seemed to struggle to get warmed up and in a rhythm. My legs took a while to get turning over well, but I decided to come in at the opening height I usually come in around (4.30m-14 … Read more
Sun Apr 29th, 2012
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Mall Vault 2012
Wednesday night was the mall vault that everyone talks about here in Des Moines leading up to the Drake Relays. Last year was the first time they included the women and it was such a success they brought us back again!!!! There were 6 men and 6 women, the top 5 men and women vaulters in the U.S. were among the group. We were each paired up with a guy and our total heights were added at the end of the night to determine places and shopping spree gift cards! My previous training partner … Read more
Fri Apr 27th, 2012
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Taiwan & Time for a Break...
I finally am back in the US of A to stay for a while and better yet to remain in the same time zone! Yay!!! After World’s I returned to Indiana for less than 3 days before leaving for California for 1 day then Taiwan. The Taiwan trip had been planned since January so looking back on it my coach and I said I maybe shouldnt have gone on the trip especially after just having traveled to Europe for World’s. The jet lag was wearing on me and it was time t … Read more
Tue Mar 27th, 2012
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Indoor World Champs!
Wow, what a trip! Traveling to Istanbul with the US team for Indoor World Champs was an unbelievable experience!!! It being my first US team, I was so excited and just wanted to take it all in. Wearing the USA across my chest and having the opportunity to compete with the World’s best was something I’ve dreamed of. I had high hopes for the competition and was excited coming off my PR performance at USA’s. I felt ready mentally and physically to take on the best vaulters an … Read more
Wed Mar 14th, 2012
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Indoor Nationals-New PR & ticket to Worlds!!
WOW is all I have to say!! I am sooo happy & excited!! This past weekend was Indoor U.S. Nationals in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The weekend was incredible for a couple reasons, one being that one of my best friends and college roommates lives there AND I knew the women’s vault would be a great competition! After Millrose Games a couple weeks ago my coach and I had a talk about what our game plan was going to be going forward. I told him I would be game for whatever he felt wa … Read more
Tue Feb 28th, 2012
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Millrose Games
I just got back from a fun weekend in NYC for the Millrose Games held at the Armory! The weekend was once again a step in the right direction with me clearing 4.40m (14’5) and finishing tied for 3rd place! No, I didn’t walk away from the weekend completely satisfied by any means, however it is definitely progress so I will take that. The atmosphere at the Armory was awesome with the fans and music—makes for a fun competition! I was blessed to have two high school friends tra … Read more
Mon Feb 13th, 2012
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National Scholastic Sports Foundation Interview
http://www.nationalscholastic.org/wherearetheynow/article/1068
Mon Feb 13th, 2012
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Keeping My Head Up :)
This past weekend was the U.S. Open in NYC at Madison Square Garden. What a great meet it was! The energy was high at the Garden and the competition was tough in all events. I went into the weekend feeling excited and confident! Coming off my big NH at Reno I was anxious to compete again. Warmups went well and the entire evening I felt great on the runway. I felt strong, powerful, fast and was on the poles I should be to give me plenty of height for … Read more
Tue Jan 31st, 2012
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~PV Summit 2012~
This past weekend was the famous Reno Pole Vault Summit that is put on each year by my amazing pole sponsor UCS Spirit! It is always an awesome weekend to have hundreds of people come together for the love of the sport. It’s so wonderful to talk to high school kids, college vaulters, coaches of all levels, Olympians, and just pole vault fans—truly unlike any other event! My favorite part of the weekend is being surrounded by my fellow elite vaulters and being a role model fo … Read more
Tue Jan 24th, 2012
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Grand Valley Meet
Well, I said my first meet was going to be a time to work out the kinks and tune-up for Reno next week and that is surely what it turned out to be. Unfortunately I no-heighted and was very disappointed. However, I try to take away something positive from every competition regardless of the result and I took away a couple good things from yesterday. First, I got on my 14’7 poles for the first time which was good to feel those out again after being off them for so long. Second, I … Read more
Sun Jan 15th, 2012
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Time to get after it!!
Tomorrow I open my indoor season at Grand Valley State in Michigan! We decided this would be a good tune-up meet before I head to Reno next week for the Pole Vault Summit. I am excited, anxious and nervous all at once about starting to compete again. It’s always interesting to see how the first meet or two goes to work out some of the kinks and see where I’m at. Training has been going great and coach is happy, which is always good! Yesterday I had another vault practice … Read more
Thu Jan 12th, 2012
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Pre-Christmas Vault Practice
Earlier this week I got a first day of winter stomach bug haha. It was not fun, but fortunately it only lasted about 24 hours. So Thursday was my last vault practice for a week because we are using this week over the holidays as a lighter, recovery week while I am home with my family. So considering how I was feeling in the beginning of the week I wasn’t sure how vaulting would go, but it went great! I continued working on the things we’ve been working on lately like a sho … Read more
Sat Dec 24th, 2011
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Fall Training Update!
So I figured it was time I make a post besides just welcoming you to my website! I’m well into my fall training now and it is all going great, which makes me super excited! So to backtrack, I had September and part of October completely off from any training, which was wonderful and completely necessary for my mental and physical health. It’s a long season so by the end I think everyone needs some time away. Mid-October my coach, Danny, sent me strength and conditioning wo … Read more
Thu Dec 8th, 2011
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Hi Everyone!
Welcome to my website, designed by one of my great high school friends Jess McLaughlin! I am so excited to finally have a means of keeping you updated on my journey as a professional vaulter as I pursue my Olympic dreams. Through my website, blog, Facebook and Twitter I will keep you updated on competition results, training, the obstacles faced by professional pole vaulters, and my life in general. Thank you in advance for all the support! I wouldn’t be where I am today without the … Read more
Thu Nov 24th, 2011
