Brooke Guy quick learner at the pole vault (FL)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs. ... /704190324

BRADEN RIVER HIGH TRACK AND FIELD
Pirates' Guy quick learner at the pole vault
BY CHRIS DELL CORRESPONDENT
EAST MANATEE -- Up until her first track meet, Brooke Guy had never picked up a pole. Now, that pole is her best friend.

The 5-foot-8 pole vaulter at Braden River High was the only member of the Pirates' track and field team to qualify for the Class 2A-Region 3 meet at Frostproof High Friday. The top four finishers will advance to the 2A state meet.

Guy finished second overall behind Cardinal Mooney junior Ann Mitchell, losing a tiebreaker at the District 11 Meet with a vault of 8-6.

"I feel really good about what I've done this year," Guy said. "I feel good about where I'm at physically right now, and I would really like to qualify for states. I've been doing so much better in practice because my confidence level is high, and I'm so comfortable."

Last year, Guy qualified for the regional tournament but failed to place in the top four. The former gymnast has been on the track team at Braden River for two years. A junior, she is also a starter for the Pirates' varsity volleyball squad.

"She has great upper body strength," said Wayne Gray, Braden River pole vaulting coach. "She is a bit fearless, and ideally as a coach you want someone who isn't afraid to give it their all. She has the qualities to be a great pole vaulter, but she just needs to continue to develop her skills even when the coaches aren't around."

In a pole vaulting event, each competitor is given three attempts to jump over a 6-foot bar. The bar is then raised by three to six inches until there is one jumper left. In the event of a tie for first place, the athlete with the least amount of missed jumps is determined the winner. Pole vaulters make an average of seven to ten jumps per meet.

Guy transferred from Lakewood Ranch to Braden River in the middle of her sophomore year. The 16-year-old was an outfielder for the Mustangs' JV softball team and played JV volleyball. She did competitive gymnastics for eight years in Michigan and Tampa.

"I love volleyball because it gives you a chance to bond with your teammate," Guy said. "But pole vaulting gives me the greatest opportunity to succeed out of any sport."

Guy also competes in the 4x100 relay and 100-yard dash. Her 20-year-old sister, Breanne, is a gymnast at the University of Arkansas.

"My sister and I are complete opposites. I gave up gymnastics because I grew so much in a year, and I couldn't stay balanced with my body anymore," she said.

Guy is targeting a personal-best jump of 9-foot-6 at regionals. She has been bending the pole more before her jump. Her strategy, called "flex bending," is employed by nearly all collegiate-level pole vaulters and can add an extra foot to her jump.

"Brooke is more than capable of going to states," Gray said. "She is just a coach-able and solid kid with great family ties. She has had a great week of practice and I'm very positive about this Friday."