http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/252439/Stripling vaults to the top of Arkansas' indoor list
BY MARTY COOK
Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2009
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FAYETTEVILLE - Katie Stripling is still new to pole vaulting, but she's an old pro at taking advantage of second chances.
Stripling cleared 14 feet, 1
3 /4 inches Saturday to tie the Arkansas indoor record at the Tyson Invitational in Tyson Track Center. Stripling made up for her poor showing in the pole vault competition Friday night, when she failed to clear a height while competing against 2008 Olympic silver medalist Jenn Stuczynski and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Stacy Dragila.
Last outdoor season, Stripling got into the NCAA Championships on a rule technicality after failing to finish in the top eight at regionals. At nationals, Stripling finished third.
On Saturday, Stripling's third attempt tied the school record held by Olympian April Steiner Bennett, who was in attendance. The two vaulters often train together.
"It's awesome, especially after coming back from no-heighting," said Stripling, a junior from Jonesboro. "I was tired, but I really wanted to come back. I wanted to see if I could not no-height."
Stripling had a long day before she even got to compete Saturday afternoon. Thirty-nine vaulters entered the event, which meant
Stripling had to wait several
hours for her chance.
Only seven vaulters cleared
higher than 13 feet, and Stripling
didn't make her first attempt until
1 it was 12-9/2. Stripling cleared that
height and four more before
missing her first two attempts
1 at 14-3/4.
Stripling missed all three of
1 her attempts at 14-5/4. She finished
vaulting about six hours after she
first warmed up.
Arkansas assistant Bryan Compton, who coaches the vaulters, told Stripling that Friday's no-height performance wasn't anything to worry about. Stripling had already earned an automatic berth in the NCAA
1 Indoor meet after clearing 13-11/4 earlier this year.
"This whole thing is a learning experience for her," Compton said of Stripling, who didn't take up the sport seriously until she arrived at Arkansas. "She'll learn how to jump with Jenn and Stacy. She's learning on the fly right now. She's catching on."
Stripling set the outdoor record last year - surpassing Steiner Bennett that time, as well - when she cleared 14-2 at the John McDonnell Invitational. Steiner Bennett said she was happy for Stripling.
"Katie's a tough little cookie," Steiner Bennett said.
Arkansas junior Tara Diebold
1
cleared 13-7 /4 to finish fifth in the pole vault. The height is a personal best for Diebold and a provisional qualifying mark for nationals.
Compton said Diebold's mark should be good enough to get her into the national meet, where she would join automatic qualifiers Stripling and freshman Tina Sutej.