Daniela Ponte Article

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?news ... 8976&rfi=6

Poignant Essay Helps Athlete From Torrington Win Award
By: John Torsiello
11/18/2004


TORRINGTON-Daniela Ponte, a 17-year-old senior at Torrington High School, is getting used to accolades.

After all, Ms. Ponte is a top student and outstanding athlete who holds the state record in the girls pole vault and has earned All-New England honors in the event for the past two years. But receiving notification recently that she is the state's female winner in the Wendy's High School Heisman Award program was special for reasons that go beyond the playing field.
Part of the application process for the award program, sponsored by Wendy's restaurants and the National Association of Secondary School Principals, involves an essay describing how the applicant had faced down a problem in his or her life.
"I had to write the essay in a short amount of time, but it came pretty easy to me," said Ms. Ponte, who lost her uncle, noted Torrington businessman and Harwinton resident John Ponte, to a fatal heart attack this past summer. "I wrote about losing my uncle and how my friends and family got me through it."
Ms. Ponte was also recognized for her academic standing-she is among the top 10 in the senior class-and for extracurricular activities and community service. In addition to competing in indoor and outdoor track and field, she was a member of the high school's girls soccer team and competed in cross-country and basketball prior to turning her attention to track and field and soccer.
"I have refereed for youth sports leagues and been a part of church groups that have gone to retirement homes," said Ms. Ponte, who is leaning toward an Ivy League college education, possibly at Brown University in Providence, R.I. "My dance class also dances every year at the soup kitchen and at elderly housing. I really like working with the elderly and the very young kids."
Ms. Ponte called winning the Wendy's Heisman award "great," adding, "It's one of the nicer awards that I have gotten because it involves so many different things, and because I wrote about my uncle." John Ponte was also her godfather.
Newell Porch, the high school's athletic director, called Ms. Ponte "a hard worker, great athlete and a tremendous person." He said her selection as a Wendy's Heisman winner-school administrators nominate candidates-was a significant accomplishment for the school and Torrington, as well as a personal achievement for Ms. Ponte.
She is the second Torrington High School student to win the state's top female award. Last year, Christine Strawson was accorded the honor. David Nole, another Torrington student, was also a state finalist this year. John Lamonaca of Middletown's Xavier High School is the 2004 Connecticut winner among young men.
Ms. Ponte is to join other Northeast Region (New England and New York State) winners at the Wendy's High School Heisman Northeast Regional Awards Dinner on Thursday. Of the 14 Northeast Region finalists, two will go on to compete for the national title in New York City Dec. 10 through 12. The national winners will be announced at that time and the selection ceremony will air on ESPN2 Dec. 14.
Close to 15,000 students were nominated nationally, with that number narrowed down to 10 male and 10 female finalists per state, as well as the District of Columbia.

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.ctnow.com/sports/highschool/ ... &cset=true

Ponte sets record in girls pole vault: Like most indoor track athletes, Daniela Ponte of Torrington doesn't have much of an opportunity to practice, especially in a sport like pole vault. So, she lifts weights, runs and makes the most of her meets.

Saturday, she vaulted 10 feet, 6 inches, shattering her own meet record of 9-2, which she set last year. Her personal best is 11 feet.

Ponte, a senior, was pleased with her performance and plans on pole vaulting in college. Her preferences include Cornell and Brown.

[GirlPoleVaulter87]

tell her to come to cornell and vault with me next year!! Frosh power!

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.rep-am.com/story.php?id=17258

Ponte repeats as pole vault champ



Sunday, February 20, 2005

By John Torsiello


Copyright © 2005 Republican-American

NEW HAVEN -- There were no new records, no thunderous applause from the fans gathered along the sidelines at the New Haven Athletic Center Saturday. But Torrington's Daniela Ponte still had a pretty nice consolation prize waiting for her at the end of the girls pole vault competition -- a State Open title.

The Torrington senior, hobbled by a sore right toe and rusty from resulting inactivity, easily beat the competition Saturday at the CIAC Indoor Track and Field State Open.

Ponte, who holds the indoor (10-feet-6) and outdoor (11 feet) records in the pole vault, won when she cleared 9-feet, 6-inches and her competitors could not match it.

On paper, Ponte faced a serous challenge going in from Brookfield's Dara Samuel, who came in top seeded with a jump of 10-3. Ponte was seeded second. But weakened by the flu and tired from competing in relay races, Samuel didn't have her legs under her and couldn't make the 9-6 height.

Knowing she had only a few good jumps left in her, Ponte immediately tried for 10-feet, 7-inches after she secured the win. The height would have set a new indoor and Open mark, but three attempts failed.

"What you saw her doing today she basically does as practice jumps," said Torrington assistant indoor and head outdoor track and field coach, Mike Tyler. "She hasn't jumped in two and a half weeks because her of toe and because we don't have anywhere for her to practice. But she toughed it out and it was enough today."

Ponte knew she wasn't at her peak coming into the meet, even though she had cleared 10-feet, 2-inches in winning the Class L pole vault last week.

"I felt good today but I haven't been jumping and my toe has really been bothering me," she said. "I figured I'd go right for 10-7 after winning the event, but I didn't have the speed I needed to make it."

Torrington's Kim Jacobson, a junior, cleared a personal best 9 feet to finish third in the pole vault. Caitlin Crowley of Lewis Mills, who won the Class S title a week ago, finished eighth with a best of 8 feet.

"Daniela has been an inspiration to me," said Jacobson, whose previous best jump was 8-feet, 6-inches.

Ponte said she is looking forward to a few weeks rest before starting to train for the outdoor season, where she is the Class L and State Open champ.