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Girls track photos: Martin vaults to prominence at Lady Spartan Classic
Senior Paige Martin begins one of her successful pole-vault attempts during Friday's Lady Spartan Classic in St. Joseph. She won the event with a vault of 10 feet. She finished 18 inches ahead of her closest competitor. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
By Gargoyle sports staff
Posted Saturday, May 5, 2007, The OG, girls track & sports
SENIOR PAIGE MARTIN had quite a night at the 31st Lady Spartan Classic at St. Joseph-Ogden High School on Friday. Martin placed second in the triple jump (31 feet, 6 inches) and ran a personal best in the 300-meter hurdles (54.32 seconds).
But it was her winning performance in the pole vault that will go into the record books. She vaulted 10 feet, her best ever, tying the meet record and exceeding the automatic state qualifying standard by 18 inches. In the photos below, you'll see two of Martin's vaults: her opening effort (an easy 7 feet), and her record-tying vault.
Overall, Uni placed ninth out of 18 teams Friday night, led by Martin's first- and second-place finishes and the third-place performance of the 3,200-meter relay team (sophomore Lizzy Warner, junior Shivani Khanna, senior Aria Collopy, and junior Ruthie Welch).
The Illineks will compete Friday in the 16-team Class A sectional at Sidell (Jamaica). Athletes who finish in the top two of their events at sectionals or who meet the automatic state qualifying standards in their events, also at sectionals, will compete in the IHSA state finals at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston May 18-19.
“I feel very optimistic about sectionals,” Martin said. “Things will be slightly different, because the pole vault will actually take place the day before, on Thursday, since the sectionals site doesn't have pole-vaulting facilities (or so I've been told). So I won't have to run back and forth between pole vault and triple jump, which will be nice. In the pole vault, I just have to make sure I have a solid meet and don't get psyched out by anything.
“Things look good for the rest of the team as well,” she continued. “[T]here are several others who have put in some great performances and who have a good shot of making it to state, most notably the 4x800 team. Mostly, everyone on the team is so supportive of their teammates, and we all cheer for one another, so I hope that we can keep up the energy and put in some great performances to finish out the season!”
[Note: A separate story about Uni's performance at the Lady Spartan Classic, with additional photos, will be published later this weekend.]
photos by David Porreca
JUST WARMING UP: FIRST VAULT
Senior Paige Martin begins her first attempt in the pole vault during Friday's Lady Spartan Classic at St. Joseph-Ogden High School. This vault was 7 feet. As you look through the photos, notice how easily she makes the height. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
Martin is Uni's first female pole vaulter. She began competing last summer. Martin trained two or three times a week and participated in meets on the weekends. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
The practice paid off in late June with a sixth-place finish at the 2006 Youth Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Greensboro, N.C. — Martin vaulted 9 feet, 6.25 inches at that meet. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
During Uni's indoor season, she vaulted 9-9 at the Charleston Indoor Girls Invitational on March 10 to place third. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
Martin's performance qualified her to compete in the Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Classic on March 30, the unofficial indoor Class A state championship meet. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
Martin vaulted 9-6 at the Indoor Classic, placing sixth in the state among Class A finalists. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
From early February to mid-April, Martin had to focus much of her energy on her starring role in Uni's spring musical, “Anything Goes.” (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
Now that she can concentrate on track, she has made great strides in several events, not just the pole vault. At the Spartan Classic, she placed second in the triple jump and ran a personal best in the 300 low hurdles. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
The automatic state qualifying standard in the pole vault is 8-6. If Martin meets that standard or places in the top two at Uni's Class A sectional, she will compete in the IHSA state meet at Charleston, scheduled for May 18-19. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
At the Lady Sages Invitational in Monticello on April 27, Martin placed second with a vault of 9-0. Only Clinton's Lisa Livingston, one of the top contenders for the state title this year, beat Martin, vaulting 10-6. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
To give some perspective on Martin's prospects for state, Livingston placed fourth at the Class A state finals last year with a vault of 10-0. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
The winning pole vaulter, Katherine Hendricks of Carterville, vaulted 11-7, but that was far ahead of the second- and third-place finishers, who each made 10-3. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
So Martin's performance at the Lady Spartan Classic would have earned her a medal at last year's state meet. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
THE BIG LEAP: SETTING A PERSONAL RECORD, TYING A MEET RECORD
This is Martin's vault of 10 feet, which won first place, set a personal best, and tied the Lady Spartan Classic record. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
The funny thing was, Martin had no idea she was actually vaulting 10 feet. Before the attempt, assistant coaches Karl Knox and Katrina Watry told her it was 9-9, a height she had already made during the indoor season. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
“I think it did help,” Martin said afterward about the psychological ploy. “For some time now I've been stuck at 9-6 (usually the heights go up by 6 inches at these meets, so trying 9-9 was rarely an option). Last summer, I consistently vaulted 9-6, and every time I tried for 10-0 I would get a little nervous and my form would disintegrate.” (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
“On April 24,” she continued, “the Uni track team had a meet at Unity, and I cleared 9-6. As soon as the bar was moved to 10-0, my vaulting completely changed. I ran down the runway a few times without vaulting (I kept psyching myself out), and when I finally got off the ground, my form wasn't very good.” (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
“After that meet, I told Karl that next time he should tell me the bar is at 9-9, but
then put it at 10-0.” (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
then put it at 10-0.” (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
“Even though I told him that, I really didn't think he and Katrina would actually do it. But I must say that I'm very glad that they did! Now that 10-0 mental block shouldn't get in my way anymore!” (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
“I am extremely pleased with my performance last night. In the 300 hurdles I was told that I placed seventh overall, and the top six get points for the team, so I just barely missed placing. However, the time of 54.32 seconds was a personal best for me, so I'm still quite happy! So, overall it was a wonderful meet: two PRs, and then my best outdoor mark for the triple jump.” (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
“I feel very optimistic about sectionals. Things will be slightly different, because the pole vault will actually take place the day before, on Thursday, since the sectionals site doesn't have pole-vaulting facilities (or so I've been told). So I won't have to run back and forth between pole vault and triple jump, which will be nice.
In the pole vault, I just have to make sure I have a solid meet and don't get psyched out by anything.” (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
In the pole vault, I just have to make sure I have a solid meet and don't get psyched out by anything.” (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
Uni assistant coach Karl Knox talks with Martin after she finds out that she actually vaulted 10 feet instead of 9-9, setting a personal record and tying the Lady Spartan Classic record. (Gargoyle photo) (click to enlarge)
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