Danielle O'Reilly article

[blazerunner121]

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/ ... 20909.html

Girls Track Athlete of the Year
Danielle O'Reilly
Shawnee
Pole vault, Senior

For Shawnee High School senior Danielle O'Reilly, a typical meet this season went like this: Wait around for about an hour until no other pole vault competitors are left, warm up a little bit, then win the event on her first or second attempt.

If it was a good day, a meet record and maybe even a state record would come with the victory. Although some might find it hard to push themselves under those circumstances, it is nothing new for O'Reilly, the Burlington County Times Girls Track Athlete of the Year.

"I'm used to doing that," she said. "Last year I would usually jump by myself, so doing it again this year wasn't a big deal for me."

O'Reilly, who will attend the University of Arkansas, was untouchable in the pole vault for the third year in a row. She cleared 13 feet on two occasions and was undefeated in the state. Her only second-place finish came at the Penn Relays, where she cleared 12-31/2.

Her top performance of the season came at the Olympic Conference championships, where she established her outdoor personal best - and set meet and state records by jumping 13-3. At the time, the jump was the best outdoor mark in the country.

An 11-6 jump gave O'Reilly her third consecutive South Jersey Group 4 title. At states, she established a meet record by going 12-0, a height she cleared more than five times this season. In her final high school meet, O'Reilly went out on top by winning her second straight Meet of Champions title with a jump of 11-6.

"She has raised the bar on the level of competition," Renegades coach Cliff Scott said. "When she started, she was the only girl in South Jersey clearing 10 feet. Now there are a couple girls going 11."