Kristen Dormanen Article

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.pe.com/sports/highschool/bre ... 5780a.html

Vaulting to success

Temecula Valley's Kristen Dormanen is thriving since focusing on one sport

12:00 AM PDT on Saturday, April 10, 2004


By ALLAN STEELE / The Press-Enterprise

TEMECULA - It's not easy getting into the Arcadia Invitational. The elite meet is reserved for track and field's showstoppers-the runners, jumpers, throwers and high flyers that dominate their sport.

Kristen Dormanen is going to Arcadia this year, which says a lot about how far the Temecula Valley junior has come since last season.

At this time last year, Dormanen was just a piece of the Bears' team, fitting in where needed. Need someone to run the 400 meters? Why not? The 200? Relays? Hurdles? Dormanen did them all. She could even get points in the pole vault, usually clearing around nine feet.

Then something changed.

"It was just surreal," Dormanen said. "It was so unexpected."

At the Jaguar Invitational, Dormanen pole vaulted 10 feet, 7 inches, setting a school record and topping her personal best by a foot and a half. Usually, a pole vaulter's progress is measured in inches. Dormanen's mark was no fluke. She cleared 10-6 at CIF prelims, 11 feet at CIF Finals and 12 feet at Masters. "Last year she was kind of a surprise to a lot of people," Temecula Valley pole vault coach Mike Fuentes said. "I think early on we both realized that there was a lot of potential in her, we just had to harness it. She really started developing well at the end of the season last year."

Dormanen's rise didn't stop. At the state meet she cleared 12-4, finishing fourth among a group of competitors that may have been the best in the nation.

"I guess pole vault was just my thing," she said without a hint of understatement.

The three-week climb from average pole vaulter to state medalist may have been surreal, but it also put Dormanen on the short list of girls clearing 12 feet, which is why she's at Arcadia today.

Elizabeth Woepse of Santa Ana Mater Dei has already cleared 12-7 and could be the favorite to win a state title this year. Whitney Johnson of Mission Viejo and Katie Morgan of Corona del Sol (Ariz.) are also ranked in the top 10 in the nation, making Arcadia more competitive than most state meets.

Dormanen said she's not fazed by any perceived pressure of performing at the big meets and has grown to love the event and the attention pole vaulting brings, especially now that colleges have taken notice.

She's used her background as a former gymnast to help with the physical demands of her new sport, as well as the mental demands. The laser-like focus and attention to detail, traits inherent in gymnastics, are also crucial in pole vaulting. So has a bit of fearlessness, which goes a long way when standing on the runway and staring at a bar so high it seems to be floating in the blue sky.

"Once you get past that fear factor ...," Fuentes says. "You have to be fearless, but only to a certain degree. You have to know your limitations."

Dormanen's limitations still may be untapped. She's cleared 12 feet this season and will get another big test next week at the Mt. SAC Invitational. One concern for Fuentes is making sure his rising star doesn't get burned out or peak too soon.

"Her technique is getting more refined each meet," Fuentes said. "She's getting better. It's important she's not getting stagnant."

"I really look to improve," Dormanen said, adding, "though maybe not as drastic as last year. Last year it was like I improved a foot every week."

Her goal is to eventually get up to 13 feet, but there's no rush.

"I'm learning a lot," she said. "There's so much to think about for one little event."

[superchau88]

i've met her, she's cool.