Shelby Kennard article (TX)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 4f54b.html

Rockwall pole vaulter worries only about herself
07:06 PM CDT on Monday, May 11, 2009

When Shelby Kennard was in seventh grade, her junior high didn't have any girls competing in the pole vault. So Kennard decided to give it a try.

Just run toward the jumping area, her coach said, and then plant the pole and vault over the bar. It wouldn't hurt to try, right?

Actually, it could hurt a lot. Pole vaulting is not simple, and there's a reason some vaulters wear helmets.

But Kennard, a Rockwall senior who is now one of the top pole vaulters in the state, had no fear. She had been a competitive cheerleader since fourth grade, and she was often the squad's "flier" – the cheerleader who gets tossed in the air.

But the main reason Kennard wasn't afraid to try pole vaulting?

"I wasn't worried because I didn't know any better," she said. "I had never seen anyone do it."

These days, there are few track fans who haven't seen Kennard vault. She competed at the last three state meets and is expected to qualify for a fourth this week at the Class 4A Region II meet. Kennard enters the meet with a personal best of 12 feet, 10 inches, better than any of her competitors.

But Kennard's main competition is herself.

"She may win the gold," Rockwall track coach Will McCrary said. "But to her, losing means not getting the height she wants."

The height Kennard wants is 13 feet, only two inches better than her personal best. But her top mark has improved by only four inches in three years, partly because her 12-6 mark as a freshman was so impressive.

Improvement since then has been slow but steady. Kennard vaulted 12-7 as a sophomore and finished third at the 5A state meet. Last year she improved her personal best to 12-9 and finished second in 5A.

Kennard, who has signed with Kentucky, has a vault of 12-10 this season. But that was before bouts of strep throat and mononucleosis in April. That kept Kennard from being 100 percent, but it didn't keep her from training. She battled through the illnesses, even when McCrary suggested she take a day off and rest.

"When I said that, she just kind of stared me down," McCrary said. "She's a very serious competitor."

A serious competitor who would like to get back on the awards stand at this year's state meet. Standing on the top step would be great, but clearing 13 feet is the main goal.

Kennard is confident that she can do it. And she knows she needs to be.

"Ninety percent of it is confidence. Knowing that you can do it and having that in your mind," she said. "If you think you can't get over the bar, you're probably not going to."