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MHS vaulter was school's first state champion



Thursday, March 24, 2005
By GIUSEPPE UNGARO
Staff Writer


Melissa Gale has done what no other athlete has done at Millville High School: win a state championship in the pole vault.


No one in school history probably trained as hard as she did, either.


The Thunderbolt junior, the News winter track "Athlete of the Season," didn't compete in the pole vault until last year. Being a former gymnast, her coaches thought it would be a logical choice.


In a matter of months, Gale went from being a novice trying to get down the fundamentals of the sport to being one one of the best pole vaulters in the state.


Gale, decided to take it to another level last summer, training at H.I.P. in Mt. Laurel.


"Yeah, this summer I did some real good training with Olympic Development trainer, William "Dub" Jones," said Gale.


It worked. On her last attempt in the NJSIAA Group IV championships, Gale cleared 11-6 to take first.


"A lot of people say that I will appreciate it more later and that nobody can take it away from me, but I don't feel any different," said Gale.


That may be because Gale is looking ahead to the next prize. Her training continued at H.I.P. throughout the fall and the season. A couple times a week, Gale and a few teammates went through vigorous training.


"I don' t really know how I get motivated," said Gale. "My dad helps a lot and my parents are behind me 110-percent. I guess it's just my wanting to get better."


She is not satisfied, yet. Taking second in states last spring motivated her to get first this winter. Now she is looking for a state title in the spring and a better finish at the Meet of Champions.


Gale took fifth in the MOC last month. On her first attempt, she badly bruised her elbow on the bar. It affected her during her last two attempts.


"It was very frustrating because my hard work went down the drain," said Gale.


That frustration will turn into motivation for Gale.


"I think this winter prepared me a lot (for the spring)," explained Gale. "I know what I need to work on to get better."


That is not a surprise to Millville winter track coach Mike Thomas.


"If you look at the Gales, there are a few state champions in the family," said Thomas. "(Gale's success) was nothing I didn't expect. I did expect it.


"She is a hard worker and she is determined. Her mom, dad and brother give her support and she has the willingness to do well. She wants the best things. It almost comes easy (to her.)"


Giuseppe Ungaro can be reached by e-mail at gungaro@sjnewsco.com

i don't think new jersey's in the North region

close...it's in the northeast region. i thought NJ looked a little out of place in here...

LOL sorry I'll move it...

http://www.nj.com/sports/bridgeton/inde ... ml&coll=10

Gale's unlimited drive yields success
Monday, March 20, 2006
By GIUSEPPE UNGARO
Staff Writer
Great athletes have talent, but the truly successful ones have the drive to match.

Millville High School pole vaulter Melissa Gale has both.

The News' girls winter track "Athlete of the Season," seemingly is never content with her performance and that's the secret of her success.

"I don't think it comes across as negative, it's more of a critical, never-satisfied critique," explained Thunderbolts coach Bill Hoover. "If she did 13-0 she probably figured she should have done 13-6.

"That can be a limiting problem for some athletes and can interfere with their performance. But she gains something from that process of setting goals and it works."

The Thunderbolt senior won the Group IV pole vault relay with teammate Angelica Nardi, won the Group IV individual title and finished second in the state at the Meet of Champions with a 11-6.

However, being tabbed as the second-best pole vaulter in the Garden State doesn't exactly excite Gale.

You get the feeling that even if the Millville senior won, she would have been upset she didn't clear at least 12-0, which has been her goal all season long.

"I always want to get first and right after I'm always mad about it," said Gale. "But now it is starting to sink in how much I have accomplished and it does seem to be pretty big. But it's just hard for me to accept it."

"The great ones aspire to be at great heights and get higher," said Hoover. "Different personalities handle it that way. In some kids you see it and in other kids you don't. It may be there, but you don't see it."

It's that attitude that has separated Gale from most of the pole vaulters in the state. It's her competitive spirit that makes her successful during the track and field seasons.

"I think that always has been in me," said Gale. "I did gymnastics from when I was two years old until I was in high school and there is a lot of competitiveness in that. My family is competitive. Me and my grandma are competitive when we play board games. I think it runs in the family."

Her family, specifically her father, plays a direct role in her training. Dan Gale coaches his daughter and other Millville pole vaulters a few times a week at a facility in Mt. Laurel.

"It helps a lot having people push me and he pushes me not in a bad way," said Gale. "He just helps me. He knows when I'm actually feeling bad or when I'm trying to get out of something. That helps a lot."

Gale's drive doesn't just get her better results; it also gets her through adversity.

The Millville senior hasn't exactly had a smooth ride through her career. She has had a nagging knee injury for the last two years, which required surgery this fall. She also competed with stitches in her hand after a car accident last spring.

"It has been really hard," said Gale. "I wish I was like the lucky people who don't get hurt very much, but it does seem to happen to me. I try to deal with each injury that comes along. There is always something to work toward. When I'm injured I just try to get better. It's the first thing on my mind so I can jump again."

Gale is now just thinking about Junior Nationals this week and then next month's spring season. Obviously 12-0 and tops in the state are top priority.

She will be entering the spring season coming off one of the best winter pole vault seasons in school history whether she likes it or not.

"I think the whole coaching staff is quite pleased with her success," said Hoover. "I know she has goals of going over 12-0. She has had quality meets and she has consistently gotten 11-6. That should be considered a success for her. Second in the state is not bad."

Giuseppe Ungaro can be reached by e-mail at gungaro@sjnewsco.com