TEN QUESTIONS WITH...

Walk us through what you think about prior to an attempt.
After your name is called, you have 90 seconds to go ahead with your attempt. At that point, I go up to the line and get my mark down. Then I just tell myself something like, “I can do this. It’s no problem, I’ve done it a million times.” Once you start, you just have to go for it. There’s really no time to think once you begin the attempt.

You hold both the indoor and outdoor record for the women’s pole vault at UB. How significant is that to you?
It’s a nice honor to have. It’s an accomplishment, but there have also been only a few vaulters before me. So in a sense, I feel like those of us who are here at UB now are setting the standards for future vaulters.

What kind of work goes on during practices for a pole vaulter?
We do all types of exercises in practice. We’ll do Olympic lifts for strength and power. On vault days, we begin with warm-up drills to get ourselves focused. Then we’ll have full vault practices. On the weekends, we do some speed workouts, as well.

How do some of those exercises help you to become a better vaulter?
We are trained to become better athletes. So, everything we do helps us become more athletic. That helps immensely with the vault. There’s no question that all of our workouts help us to become more effective vaulters.

Is there much exchange between vaulters during practice?
We are constantly helping one another out. There are so many elements of a vault – you can’t expect the coaches to see everything. So, it is a team pole-vaulting effort.

How often does that “team” aspect come into play for a track and field athlete?
When I am in my event, I definitely concentrate only on what I’m doing. But in preparation, I’m always thinking about how I’m going to help the team. It’s always in the back of my mind that what I do does affect the team.

At tournaments, how does the scoring system work in pole vaulting?
The score for the pole vault is the same as it is for any other competition at a meet. The first-place finisher earns 10 points for their team, while eight points awarded for second place. The top eight finishers all receive points.

How much variation is there in your approach during the indoor season as opposed to the outdoor season?
I think most of it is a mental difference. Of course, during the indoor season you also don’t have to deal with the wind, rain, sun or anything like that.

What would be the ideal conditions for you?
Personally, I like it when the temperature is in the mid-to-high 70s. That helps me to stay loose. Obviously, it can’t be raining either. But I do like to have a small wind at my back.

Is it difficult to move on from the indoor season to the outdoor one in a matter of only a couple of weeks?
It’s a little bit of an adjustment, especially for a pole vaulter. It takes a week or two to adjust to factors like the wind, which you don’t have to deal with during the indoor season.

-The ‘10 Questions with…’ feature is compiled by Geoff Nason.