Shade Weygandt turns pro

[rainbowgirl28]

From a press release sent to me by her dad:

Former Mansfield High School and Texas Tech pole vaulter, Shade Weygandt at 21 will begin her career as a professional track and field athlete, thus foregoing her senior year of eligibility for the Red Raiders. Shade will begin training with elite coach Danny Wilkerson in December and with fellow elite athletes. Shade will split her time between Lubbock, South Bend, IN and Boston, MA while completing her degree in Psychology at Texas Tech University she is due to graduate in May.

Shade, a three time Texas State Champion (06,07,08) for Mansfield High School and is the current all time state record holder in the pole vault (14’0). Adding to her resume, Shade was also a Nike Outdoor Champion in 2007 & 2008, and a USATF Junior National team member. She completed her high school career in only 3 years, so it came as no surprise that she would complete her collegiate career and make her move to the professional ranks in only 3 years. As a Red Raider, Shade was consistently the top ranked American athlete while setting records and winning prestigious meets like Mount Sac, Big 12 Conference Meets and was also a member of both the World and Pan Am teams throughout her high school and collegiate careers. Shade, a NCAA All American, broke the Texas Tech Stadium record as a junior in high school and went on to reset the record numerous times leaving a lasting legacy at Texas Tech. This past summer she was the only women collegiate vaulter to qualify for the Olympic Trials with the automatic A Olympic standard mark of 4.50 (14’9’). Shade is now looking forward to the next chapter in her career. Chasing the dream 2016 Olympics in Rio.

[hiphipjorge]

lets hope this works out but its a tough, tough road to travel. Unfortunately, 1 time over 14'9 a "professional" vaulter does not make. But hopefully she continues to improve, the US needs consistent 15+ vaulters and she has potential.

[rainbowgirl28]

Shade has a lot of potential, hopefully she can continue to improve!

[PV2020]

She does go to Texas Tech which just recently released their vault coach this summer. And since we are hearing about this so late I am going to guess she just recently decided this. So, since it is November already and people sign scholarship papers anywhere from May-August for the following year, the best bet you can make is she is not loosing any money for turning pro. Even if you quit a college team, at most institutions (if not everywhere), as soon as you sign your scholarship paper for the next year, the money is yours even if you quite right when school starts. She just becomes in-eligible to compete by turning pro.

So theoretically, if this is how it happened (not saying it did, only that it is possible within the confounds of the rule book), she could have one year as a professional pole vaulter funded by the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

[rainbowgirl28]

I think if you quit the team in the fall, they can pull your scholarship for the spring.

[hiphipjorge]

I believe that is correct also. Spring semester would be pulled. The biggest loss from a financial aspect is her marketability. A college athlete exiting her last year with an NCAA title and 15' jump under her belt, will get some invites into some larger, possible "money" meets, in addition to some support from noted agents who have connections to shoe companies that might be willing to do some sort of basic contract. All of this could have been done on the schools dime while she continued to improve. Big meet interest, gives you the opportunity to beet noted names which then gives you more opportunities. It is however somewhat difficult to get anyone to let her into those bigger domestic meets without those two titles. There in lies the tougher road she must travel. But that's the great thing about the vault, jump high enough and you earn your way there, it's just likely it will have to be in the 15's to get any looks.

[Bubba PV]

Respectfully, money is not an issue in her family. I respect the decision and her reasons. Could it have anything to do with losing a coach? Sure to maybe? But I know she's got great friends and family around her so any game plan has been well thought out. I love watching her vault. Bubba