Heather Riley's courage overcomes a lot (NY)

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http://www2.timesreview.com/ST/stories/ ... TRACKII_BL

Fear of heights doesn't hold Riley down

Riverhead pole vaulter's courage overcomes a lot

By Bob Liepa


News-Review file photo by Bob Liepa Heather Riley hasn't let her fear of heights prevent her from becoming the greatest pole vaulter Riverhead has ever had. RIVERHEAD--Funny as it may seem, the best pole vaulter in the Riverhead High School girls' track and field team's history has a fear of heights. That's no joke.

Heather Riley's fear of heights was an obstacle the senior had to overcome before going on to set indoor and outdoor school records in the pole vault, an event that attracts reckless, daredevil types. Someone like Riley, who wouldn't dream of riding a roller coaster, would not seem a likely candidate.

"Everybody always says you must have a little bit of craziness" to be a pole vaulter, Riley said. "Then, deep down inside, I'm like, 'I'm kind of afraid of heights.' I can't go on any kind of circus ride or anything. I can't do it."

But Riley's courage overcame her fear. A former softball player, she wanted to try something different when she was in eighth grade and turned to track and field. Then she was directed by coaches to try something really different and gave the pole vault a try. At first, Riley said, she closed her eyes as the pole catapulted her into the air. "When I landed on the mat, I was like, it's not that bad," she recalled.

Riley caught the pole-vaulting bug, and her fear of heights doesn't seem to apply to the pole vault. She has gone as high as 9 feet outdoors and 8-6 indoors, which are both Blue Waves records. This past winter, Riley took third in a state qualifying meet and was a league champion.

Her best vaults may be yet to come. Riverhead's pole-vaulting coach, John Andresen, rates Riley as among the top two or three pole vaulters in Suffolk County. Last month she signed a letter of intent, accepting a partial scholarship from The College of Saint Rose, an NCAA Division II team in Albany.

Monday was a good day for Riley, though. She seemed in good spirits, bantering with Andresen and teammates during a League IV dual meet against the visiting Half Hollow Hills West Colts. The Blue Waves lost, 85-65, but Riley had quite a day, scoring 11 points herself. Not only is she a top pole vaulter, but she's also quite a versatile athlete who can handle the triple jump, long jump and shot put as well as run the 200- and 400-meter events.