8th grader Aspen Johnson 8-6 (TX)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.amarillo.com/stories/042408/ ... 4686.shtml

Greg Jaklewicz: Westover Park vaulter Johnson accomplishes goals

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Aspen Johnson: Westover Park pole vaulter set a goal of 8-6. She cleared that height in the district meet.


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We're sorry, Aspen. Because of improving heights, your pole vault didn't make the area honor roll this week.
Ten vaulters have cleared at least nine feet. Your 8-foot, 6-inch vault is one of 11 at that height.

However, you get an asterik. The good kind, not the Barry Bonds kind.

You're in eighth grade. The other vaulters are in high school.

The top girls vault in the state this spring, according to txrunning.com, is 13-9½ by defending Class 5A state champion Shade Weygandt of Mansfield. Their list begins at 10-6, meaning no vaulter from this area is among the state's best. A year ago, Caprock's Holly Rollins went 12-0 and eventually vaulted at the Class 4A state meet.

It seems that Aspen Johnson of Westover Park Junior High has the potential to be a statewide standout in her event. She certainly has shown the ability to attain goals.

"I ran the hurdles and was pretty good. This year, I am more focused on the pole vault," she says.

Her goal was to break the Amarillo Relays Meet of Champions record of 7-6. She went 7-7.

Next was the district record of 7-9. She went 8-0. Then 8-6.

She says she put a piece of tape in her track shoe with the height she wanted to get.

"I wanted to clear 8-6," she said.

Jennifer Franklin, who oversees girls athletics at Westover Park, told me that Aspen "is not afraid to try anything. A successful pole vaulter is usually fearless and that describes Aspen to the tee."

Pole vaulters ... fearless? Nah. Anyone can run down a thin runway with a long, flexible pole, plant it in the pit and launch themselves.

"It's fun going over the bar and throwing (the pole) back," Aspen says.

Now, this is fact: guys go higher in the pole vault. Way higher. Jared Parker of Vidor this year has gone 16-6. Russian Sergei Bubka went over 20 feet in his prime.

One big reason is upper body strength, which is needed to bend the pole. An eighth-grade girl such as Aspen isn't rippling with muscles.

"I've been doing upside down pushups. I do them when I get bored at home watching TV," she says.

While her biceps and triceps are a work in progress, what Aspen already has is technique. At first, she had none.

"The first time I tried it, I pretty much just fell," she says.

How did all this start, anyway?

The coach who got her "hooked" on the vault is Randall volleyball coach Jason Culpepper. Yeah, the volleyball coach.

She learned quickly that a tentative approach to the pit is like a rocket launching with no blastoff.

And, "you have to know where to hold your hands on the pole and how fast to run," she says.

Smart girl that she is, she watched other vaulters, such as Randall's regional qualifier Kelsi Chadwick, who has cleared 10 feet. And, she has watched vaulters on You Tube. You can watch Bubka set his world record.

"I see how (vaulters) bend their backs. I started to get my technique down," Aspen says.

Next year, Aspen will make the drive from Westover to Randall. There, she'll be on the track team with another Westover alumnae, Karlee Kleiber.

Karlee ran some great times in the distance races as an eighth-grader. As a Lady Raiders freshman, she finished second in 800 meters to gain the Region I-4A track meet.

"I want to do it next year," Aspen says of taking her vaulting to new heights.

She also wants to play soccer, maybe be the next Bailee Skeen. Skeen this year was an all-district soccer player while also running track and qualifying for the regional meet in the 100, 100 hurdles and sprint relay.

That's a lot of goals, but Aspen Johnson is good at accomplishing them.

Wonder what she'll write on that tape next track season?

[marshall]

in california there's a kid thats gonna go to oak park i think that did 11 feet as an 8th grader. he still has to grow into his body but he has a great swing up. and i think there was a 7th grade girl i met a couple of weeks ago that has a PR of 8'6.

wow, a lot of these kids start so early. makes me jealous. =P

[jennyluvsgym]

i just started 8th grade this year, and over summer after 7th grade (my first year vaulting) vaulted 9'
im pretty excited for track season this year!!

[rainbowgirl28]

Nice job, keep up the good work

[cj_garza]

Aha, i started reading this and got a little big headed but jealous at the same time. 7th grade girls at my school are just barely clearing 6'0? I'm going to be an 8th grader this year at Austin Middle School in Amarillo Texas. My 7th grade year was my first year to ever attempt pole vaulting. I lift a lot and condition a lot so i thought it would be a good idea. I ended up going in with my head up and beating the city record and tying the national record. I also placed in the top ten in nationals in everything i did. And got city records for them also. Keep it up girl