Abbey Way up there (PA)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/dailyco ... 07971.html

Way up there

By Dave Mackall
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, May 16, 2007

After fizzling out in the long jump, Mt. Pleasant's Abbey Way felt a wave of despair as she prepared to compete in the pole vault Tuesday at the WPIAL Class AA track and field championships at South Side Beaver High School.
But Way quickly gained her composure to set a personal-best mark of 11 feet, winning the event -- one of two victories for the junior, who also claimed a gold medal in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 1 inch.

"I was feeling bad after the long jump," said Way, a repeat winner in the pole vault who matched the mark that was good enough to win the PIAA meet last season. "But I had a little bit of time to think. I had some time to focus."

It was enough time to make a statement.


"Those two girls are among the cream of the crop," Mt. Pleasant coach Jeff Worth said of Way and Funk. "Abbey has worked very hard to make this happen, and if you look at what Taylor did here today, second place is very good.

Funk finished second in the 100 hurdles behind Quaker Valley star Christa Rogers, who won three individual events and was part of a winning relay team.

Way's personal-best pole vault easily bested her previous high of 10-6, and the result left her elated.

"I just kind of put it on myself to do the best I could," she said. "The competition today was better than it's been all year."