Rachel Fisher vaults to the top of BYU chart
Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 3:34 pm
http://www.courier-gazette.com/articles ... e/9728.txt
Fisher vaults to the top of BYU chart
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@acnpapers.com
Published: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 5:34 PM CST
Rachel Brooke Fisher likes to set the bar high both literally and figuratively.
Fisher, whose family has lived in Allen for 15 years, set and surpassed that bar like no other in BYU history two weeks ago at the Mountain West Conference Indoor Championships as the freshman pole vaulter set the school’s women’s record with a mark of 4.25 meters (13-foot-11.25).
“Rachel has surpassed a fine record,” said Craig Poole, BYU women’s head coach. “A record we thought might stand for a while. For a freshman to surpass that mark was surprising but not unexpected. Rachel showed great ability out of high school, and has all of the physical and mental skills to be one of our nation’s best.”
With the jump, Fisher set a new personal record and placed second at the event. She earned All-MWC honors and qualified for the 2010 NCAA Division I Indoor National Championships, which are Friday and Saturday at the University of Arkansas.
“It was really nice to jump well,” Fisher said. “I didn’t expect to really do this well, so it’s great. I felt rested and well-prepared and it finally came together in a meet.
“I am so thankful for all the people who have helped me get to this point.”
Those people include coach Eric Rasmussen and Poole. The former has emphasized technical detail in the vault and worked at getting Fisher to be consistent with her run and take-off.
“One of the other points of emphasis (for Fisher) has been fitness and getting strong,” Poole said. “Another skill is to run faster so she can get on larger poles. Accomplishing these two items takes patience and time, and Rachel has been a very good student in learning how to accomplish these goals.”
Those improvements have Fisher on the verge of competing for a national title, but her trip to Fayetteville has been a long time in the making.
Before pole vaulting, Fisher spent 14 years as a gymnast. That time included seven years training at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano. During her seven years in Plano, where she competed through Level 10, Fisher trained alongside future all-around Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin.
Fisher was coached at WOGA by Laurie Dix and Yevgeny Marchenko, who was all-around Olympic champion, and Allen resident, Carly Patterson’s coach.
Fisher won 85 gymnastics medals with WOGA, including Level 7 and 8 state titles and a Level 9 regional championship. Fisher received recruiting interest from several NCAA teams, but her height began making gymnastics more difficult. Fisher reached 5-foot-8 by the time she was a junior in high school and decided to switch to pole vaulting, where height can be an advantage rather than a detriment.
Fisher began her pole vaulting career with Club Vaultitude under the tutelage of Toby Howell.
Howell’s expertise helped Fisher transition quickly as she was up to 10 feet after just two weeks of training. Fisher continued her rapid rate of improvement and put up a mark of 12-foot-9.5 within six months. That attempt was good enough to earn Fisher second place at the 2008 USATF Junior Olympic National Championships. Fisher won all 17 pole vault meets she entered as a senior in 2009, including first place at 2009 Texas Relays with a 13-foot vault. She wrapped the season up in style by winning the 2009 AAU Junior Olympic National Championships in August, breaking the AAU meet record with a 12-foot-8 vault.
Fisher has parlayed those accomplishments into success at the collegiate level as she has set three personal records this season, including the 13-foot-11.25 vault that catapulted the Lady Cougars to their ninth MWC indoor title.
How Fisher represents BYU this weekend remains to be seen, but the Allen resident is set up for a solid career.
“It is always had to predict the future, but if [Fisher] continues on her course we can expect many exciting outcomes from her,” Poole said. “We preach that the past is history and the future is a mystery, so we just concentrate on now and if we take care of the details the future will take care of itself.
“We are hopping for marks that will put [Fisher] much higher and that will bring her success.”
Fisher vaults to the top of BYU chart
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@acnpapers.com
Published: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 5:34 PM CST
Rachel Brooke Fisher likes to set the bar high both literally and figuratively.
Fisher, whose family has lived in Allen for 15 years, set and surpassed that bar like no other in BYU history two weeks ago at the Mountain West Conference Indoor Championships as the freshman pole vaulter set the school’s women’s record with a mark of 4.25 meters (13-foot-11.25).
“Rachel has surpassed a fine record,” said Craig Poole, BYU women’s head coach. “A record we thought might stand for a while. For a freshman to surpass that mark was surprising but not unexpected. Rachel showed great ability out of high school, and has all of the physical and mental skills to be one of our nation’s best.”
With the jump, Fisher set a new personal record and placed second at the event. She earned All-MWC honors and qualified for the 2010 NCAA Division I Indoor National Championships, which are Friday and Saturday at the University of Arkansas.
“It was really nice to jump well,” Fisher said. “I didn’t expect to really do this well, so it’s great. I felt rested and well-prepared and it finally came together in a meet.
“I am so thankful for all the people who have helped me get to this point.”
Those people include coach Eric Rasmussen and Poole. The former has emphasized technical detail in the vault and worked at getting Fisher to be consistent with her run and take-off.
“One of the other points of emphasis (for Fisher) has been fitness and getting strong,” Poole said. “Another skill is to run faster so she can get on larger poles. Accomplishing these two items takes patience and time, and Rachel has been a very good student in learning how to accomplish these goals.”
Those improvements have Fisher on the verge of competing for a national title, but her trip to Fayetteville has been a long time in the making.
Before pole vaulting, Fisher spent 14 years as a gymnast. That time included seven years training at World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano. During her seven years in Plano, where she competed through Level 10, Fisher trained alongside future all-around Olympic gold medalist Nastia Liukin.
Fisher was coached at WOGA by Laurie Dix and Yevgeny Marchenko, who was all-around Olympic champion, and Allen resident, Carly Patterson’s coach.
Fisher won 85 gymnastics medals with WOGA, including Level 7 and 8 state titles and a Level 9 regional championship. Fisher received recruiting interest from several NCAA teams, but her height began making gymnastics more difficult. Fisher reached 5-foot-8 by the time she was a junior in high school and decided to switch to pole vaulting, where height can be an advantage rather than a detriment.
Fisher began her pole vaulting career with Club Vaultitude under the tutelage of Toby Howell.
Howell’s expertise helped Fisher transition quickly as she was up to 10 feet after just two weeks of training. Fisher continued her rapid rate of improvement and put up a mark of 12-foot-9.5 within six months. That attempt was good enough to earn Fisher second place at the 2008 USATF Junior Olympic National Championships. Fisher won all 17 pole vault meets she entered as a senior in 2009, including first place at 2009 Texas Relays with a 13-foot vault. She wrapped the season up in style by winning the 2009 AAU Junior Olympic National Championships in August, breaking the AAU meet record with a 12-foot-8 vault.
Fisher has parlayed those accomplishments into success at the collegiate level as she has set three personal records this season, including the 13-foot-11.25 vault that catapulted the Lady Cougars to their ninth MWC indoor title.
How Fisher represents BYU this weekend remains to be seen, but the Allen resident is set up for a solid career.
“It is always had to predict the future, but if [Fisher] continues on her course we can expect many exciting outcomes from her,” Poole said. “We preach that the past is history and the future is a mystery, so we just concentrate on now and if we take care of the details the future will take care of itself.
“We are hopping for marks that will put [Fisher] much higher and that will bring her success.”