Leaping Lions (AR)

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http://www.thedailycitizen.com/articles ... orts01.txt

Leaping Lions

By Dale Constance
The Daily Citizen
Monday, May 14, 2007 9:48 PM CDT


Searcy pole vaulters Austin Holowell and Molly Roberts will aim high as they enter the Class 6A state track-and-field meet Wednesday at Harding University. In his second season, Holowell has improved his personal best by nearly two feet. Roberts, a Searcy freshman, is in her first season as a pole vaulter. She has already vaulted a personal-best eight feet and looks to increase that height in the state meet. Jay Strasner
With the Class 6A state track-and-field meet just one day away, the Searcy High pole vaulting squad is soaring with the addition of one and the marked improvement of another.

Molly Roberts hopes to put the cap on a solid rookie campaign, while Austin Holowell looks to continue his vast improvement when they and the rest of the Searcy Lions compete at the Class 6A state track-and-field meet Wednesday at Harding University’s Ted Lloyd Track.

This will be the first state meet for Roberts. The Searcy High School freshman traded in her running shoes for a vaulting pole after she previously ran the 100- and 200-meter dash for the Searcy Junior High track team.

Although she had never pole vaulted before this season, Roberts said she became interested in the sport three years ago.

“I just like going up in the air and flying over a pole,â€Â