Frances Shaffer Article (PA)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05146/510102.stm

PG West: South Side junior soaring in vault
Thursday, May 26, 2005

By Rich Emert, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette



Frances Shaffer was among a handful of athletes South Side Beaver High School track coach Vinnie Guandolo took to the Baldwin Invitational. It was an enlightening experience for her.

Enlightening because she cleared 10 feet, 6 inches in the pole vault and placed sixth in a field loaded with many of the WPIAL's top vaulters. Before Baldwin, her best vault was 9-6.

Improving a foot in the pole vault is like a sprinter knocking two seconds off his or her best time or a distance runner shaving two minutes of a personal-best mark for 1,600 meters.

Shaffer followed the Baldwin Invitational with a WPIAL gold medal. She won the pole vault at the Class AA championships last week at South Side Beaver, clearing 9-9.

"We took only the people to Baldwin who we thought had a chance to go to [the PIAA championships]," Guandolo said. "What Frannie has done this year is remarkable because she still has some bad habits. Once we get rid of those, she could end up going 11, 12 feet."

Bad habits? What bad habits?

"Well, she jumps off the wrong leg," Guandolo said. "But in fairness to her, we've had three pole vault coaches in three years. The person we had last year left midway through the season, so she was pretty much on her own and got into some bad habits."

A junior, Shaffer laughed when told about her coach's comments. Then she admitted she does jump off the wrong leg.

"I'm left-handed, but I approach a vault as if I'm right-handed and I go off the wrong leg," she said. "But it's worked."

Shaffer is tied for the fourth seed going into the PIAA championships. Amber Gaffey of Susquehanna, who was second last year, is the top seed and cleared 11 feet at the District 2 championships.

Shaffer has benefited from being involved in gymnastics for nine years. She placed fourth in the all-around in the Silver Division at the Pennsylvania Classic, and was first on the uneven parallel bars.

That event is the state championships for gymnastics. Her school doesn't have a gymnastics team.

Shaffer, who also ran on the 400- and 1,600-meter relays and did some hurdling, practices gymnastics at the Monaca Turners and competes in high school competitions as an individual.

Teammates were telling Shaffer she was going to win the WPIAL Class AA title in the pole vault. She tried not to listen to them.

"I tried to stay pessimistic because I know what can happen," Shaffer said. "[Randi Patton of Waynesburg], who was third in the state last year, didn't even make it to the WPIAL meet."

Competition in the girls' Class AA pole vault will begin at 9 a.m. tomorrow at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium. Shaffer's goal this season was to finish in the top eight at states.

[lilgymnast1302]

This website is really great. i learned about it at pole vault camp and one day i registered and i was skimming through and i say an article about me. it was when i was interviewed by a reporter and he must have posted it on the website. i think that is great that people give recogintion were it is due and i really appreciate that.