Kylie Hutson is on top of her game

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.tribstar.com/sports/local_st ... 32633.html

ISU track's national champion Kylie Hutson is on top of her game

By Dennis Clark
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE — Kylie Hutson might be a “big shot” now when it comes to collegiate women’s pole vaulting, but with that perpetual laugh in her voice, she stated her preference would simply be “national champion”.

One thing is for certain, this “national champion” is on “Cloud 9.”

Hutson, a junior at Indiana State and Terre Haute North graduate, won the women’s pole vault championship at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships at College Station, Texas, soaring 14 feet, 31⁄4 inches (4.35 meters) on Saturday.

Hutson became ISU’s first women’s national champion since Holli Hyche won the 55- and 200-meters at the 1993 and 1994 NCAA Indoor Championships. Adding in her NCAA Outdoor championships, Hyche was a seven-time national champion.

Hutson’s winning vault also established an all-time Missouri Valley Conference record.

Asked what it means for her name to be mentioned in the same breath as Hyche, Hutson exclaimed, “No. 2.”

But she grinned prior to her clarification, “But [I’m] the first field performer.

“I don’t really know how I feel. Really excited to be up there with Holly, because I knew she was one of the greatest athletes to come through ISU. That’s an honor to be considered up there with her.

“It means a ton to me,” she continued. “Coming into college, that’s everyone’s ultimate goal, to win a national championship. I didn’t think it would be in my junior year, I always thought it would be in my senior year.

“I’ve always wanted to be the best at something. In high school I was always fourth … never the best. But I’ve finally got that title under my belt.”

Hutson has enjoyed success since arriving at ISU. She is currently a three-time NCAA Indoor All-American, placing 15th as a freshman, 11th last year as a sophomore.

A harbinger of better things to come occurred earlier this indoor season, as Hutson had a vault of 13-91⁄4 in a double-dual meet at Rose-Hulman in January. That vault tied her for the best NCAA Division I height of the season at that time.

More importantly, it qualified her for a third NCAA indoor meet, but the first time as an automatic qualifier.

How did this year’s NCAA Indoor Championships play out for Hutson?

“I started warming up probably an hour and a half before competition,” she stated. “I took more jumps in warmups than normal. Like 45 minutes before it started I go ‘hey coach, I’m done. I got my steps on. I’m ready to go. I feel good.’

“On my first attempt, I cleared the bar at 3.95 meters. So I was relieved … half the time I never do that,” she said with a laugh.

She continued on a roll, clearing the bar at 4.05, 4.15 and 4.25 — all on the first attempt. Then a little drama ensued.

“Then we get up there to the high bars which was 4.30 (14 feet, 11⁄4 inches),” she mentioned. “Kind of nervous cause that was my [personal record]. I said, ‘I can do this. I did 14 feet two weeks ago so I can do this again’. Missed on my first time. My step wasn’t on.

“The [University of] Minnesota girl [Alicia Rue] cleared it on her first attempt, so I had a little pressure on me. I cleared on my second attempt which was awesome. Glad I didn’t wait until my third [attempt].”

With the bar raised to 4.35 meters, only three girls remained in the competition — Hutson, Rue and Katie Stripling of Arkansas. All three are juniors. Rue went first and missed, bringing up Hutson.

“So it was like ‘OK, I can do this. My step has been on all day long. I feel pretty fast down the runways’,” Hutson recalled. “I cleared that on my first attempt. I feel like I skied. I was very technically sound on that jump. I just felt really smooth.”

As it turned out, that was the championship vault as Rue and Stripling failed to clear 4.35 meters.

Hutson attempted to better her vault with three attempts at 4.40 meters, but was unsuccessful. “Had three really good attempts at that, but none of those swung my way,” she said.

While baseball, football, basketball or hockey players have a long off-season to relish a championship, not so for track and field athletes. With the indoor season ending last weekend, ISU’s outdoor season begins with the Indiana State Invitational on Mar. 27-28 at Marks Field.

In other words, very little time to rest on your laurels.

“Two weeks later, back on the runway … on our home track actually,” Hutson said. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to jump in that.

“It’s just like what’s next? Bring it, you know? I’m really excited for outdoors. I jumped better outdoors last year. I’m really excited for things to get going.”