Athletes vaulting to forefront in track (PA)

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http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 21546.html

Athletes vaulting to forefront in track

By Keith Barnes, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, April 21, 2009


Clearing 10 feet in the pole vault is normally good enough to win a medal at the WPIAL Class AAA girls championship meet. This year, it may be enough to win it all.

So far this season, only nine girls have been able to hit the 10-foot mark, and at least six will be competing Saturday in the annual Westmoreland County Coaches' Association meet at Latrobe.

"As an athlete having a meet like that makes me try harder," Hempfield's Shona Young said. "I get anxious when I see what competition there is."

Young and teammate Breann Paul are two of the six from Westmoreland County who have reached 10 feet, which gives them an insight into what it takes to have success hitting new heights.

"Breann and I talk about things and what we're going to do during the meet," Young said. "I think it takes a lot of practice and a good coach. I think if you practice a lot and maintain everything, like with all the work with the sprinters that we do and lift, you become better."

Although both will be among the pole vaulters to watch Saturday, the favorite at both the county meet and in the WPIAL championships will be Norwin senior Danielle Plecenik, who is the top returning finisher from last year's Class AAA finals. She ended up third (10 feet, 6 inches) and hit the same height at the PIAA Class AAA meet for a 12th-place finish.

Plecenik has cleared 10-6 this season, which ties her with Indiana's Lucy Churner for the best in the WPIAL.

Although the expectations were high on Plecenik coming into the season, she hasn't let it affect her in either day-to-day preparation or individual meets.

"There's always pressure, but I feel confident and know what I can do and I just have to put forth my best effort," Plecenik said. "I'm always going to practice, always put forth 100 percent, and I always try to be No. 1."

Plecenik has a different background than most pole vaulters. Instead of shifting from a running event to the field, she started out in gymnastics until her sophomore year when she switched to offseason lifting and jumping five days a week.

"Gymnastics requires a lot of strength, so to pole vault you need a lot of upper body strength and endurance, and it all incorporates into that," Plecenik said. "I think it was more difficult to stand on the runway to get ready to vault because it's more nerve-wracking that you have to get over a bar."

Plecenik spent previous seasons watching and learning from Norwin graduate Amanda Ponsonby, who finished second to Derry's Amanda Palenchar in the WPIAL finals last season. Now Plecenik is the one to watch, and her Norwin teammate Kerri Morgan has been paying attention.

Morgan also has cleared 10 feet this season and knows all about the tradition of solid pole vaulters, both at Norwin and in the area.

"I guess it's because of the competition and because a lot of our coaches grew up together, and they're all at different schools, now and they all talk," Morgan said. "And I'm kind of used to (good pole vaulters on the team) because Amanda Ponsonby was on the team last year and she's been to states, but me and Danielle, we help each other ou,t and we give each other advice on what we do."

NEW HEIGHTS

Nine girls in WPIAL Class AAA have pole vaulted at least 10 feet this season.

Athlete, School — Height

Danielle Plecenik, Norwin — 10-6

Lucy Churner, Indiana — 10-6

Alyssa Palenchar, Derry — 10-1/2

Gabby Siciliano, Franklin Regional — 10-0

Megan Arnold, Shaler — 10-0

Breann Paul, Hempfield — 10-0

Shona Young, Hempfield — 10-0

Kerri Morgan, Norwin — 10-0

Taylor Yarshen, North Allegheny — 10-0