Whitney Friel Article
Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2005 1:46 am
http://www.dailysentinel.com/sports/con ... ULTER.html
High Flyer: Friel excels at pole vault
Kevin Gore, The Daily Sentinel
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
The thought of running down a lane with a pole, sticking it into the ground and then riding the pole upward before catapulting into the air and over a bar was never a priority for Whitney Friel.
She played the normal sports like volleyball and basketball, instead.
But a former Nacogdoches track coach talked her into trying the event about four years ago.
Two district championships and one second-place finish in district later, Friel will make her third straight trip to regionals this week at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.
She won the pole vault competition with a height of 9-6 at the District 16-4A meet in Hallsville on March 13.
She is optimistic about placing in the top two at regionals, which would give her a berth in the state track meet in May.
Friel, who is 5-7 and 113 pounds, doesn't especially look like a pole vaulter.
But this is a case of looks being deceiving.
“It takes a lot of upper body strength and a lot of practice,â€Â
High Flyer: Friel excels at pole vault
Kevin Gore, The Daily Sentinel
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
The thought of running down a lane with a pole, sticking it into the ground and then riding the pole upward before catapulting into the air and over a bar was never a priority for Whitney Friel.
She played the normal sports like volleyball and basketball, instead.
But a former Nacogdoches track coach talked her into trying the event about four years ago.
Two district championships and one second-place finish in district later, Friel will make her third straight trip to regionals this week at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.
She won the pole vault competition with a height of 9-6 at the District 16-4A meet in Hallsville on March 13.
She is optimistic about placing in the top two at regionals, which would give her a berth in the state track meet in May.
Friel, who is 5-7 and 113 pounds, doesn't especially look like a pole vaulter.
But this is a case of looks being deceiving.
“It takes a lot of upper body strength and a lot of practice,â€Â