Gymnastics Superstars start vaulting!

[jmayesvaultmom]

For those of you with a background in gymnastics or who follow the sport closely, you will be interested to know this. At Reno, guess who was vaulting? AMY CHOW....you know....96 Olympic Gold Medal Team, 96 Olympic Silver Medal Bars, 92 Olympic Bronze Medal on Floor (I think Floor).... Jodie and I talked to her for a while. She is a graduate of Stanford (I'm sure with a 4.0), is a concert level pianist, and is in medical school at either Stanford or UCLA...I can't remember which. I asked her what possessed her to vault and she said "Something to do...." When I asked if she was going to vault for her university, she said that she had one year of eligibility left, but did not have the time to practice 5 days a week being in medical school. She has been vaulting for 6 months and cleared 11' 3" in Reno! Then I'm looking at VaultnGus' update, and I see the name ANDREE PICKENS, from the University of Alabama....had jumped 10'4"... It HAS to be the same Andree Pickens that competes for U. of Alabama in gymnastics. We watched her at Olympic trials and many other meets. When I tried to search her name to see anything about track, I gave up looking because google.com had 19 something pages of sites with her name about gymnastics! Anyway, thought it might be of interest to some of you!

[jmayesvaultmom]

I did find something about Andree Pickens on the U. of Alabama athletic site... here it is

Senior Andree' Pickens, who picked up pole vaulting just three months ago after a standout career on the Crimson Tide's gymnastics team, set the school record in only her third track and field outing. Pickens cleared 10-04.0, bettering the old mark of 10-02 set last year. Pole vaulting is a relatively new event in NCAA competition, and last season was the first time Alabama had an athlete compete in it.

Three months! Six months for Amy!

[wacky274]

Amy linnen from University of Arizona was previously a gymnast from what i understand. We have another girl, a sophomore Katie Morgan who also has a Gymnastic Background....She's jumped 12' 6"......There is no doubt in my mind that gymnastics help drastically, especially in teh beginning stages of learning the vault.

[rainbowgirl28]

Carly Dockendorf is UW's top gymnast. She begged Pat to let her try pole vaulting last year so he did. In her first meet she cleared 12'2"! That was right at the end of the season and she did not compete for UW. She will be competing for them this year, and in her 5th year, when she is done with gymnastics eligibility, she will be able to focus on track. I think that is what Andree Pickens is doing, now that she is done with gymnastics eligibilty.

[jmayesvaultmom]

The gymnastics background certainly makes a difference. Jodie has been in gymnastics since she was 2 and competed up to level 9 and qualified for level 10. It gives them more upper body strength, explosiveness, a lack of fear, and a sense of where they are in the air. They are also perfectionists and very much into technique of skills they perform....whether it be in gymnastics or pole vaulting! I'm sure that is why Jodie was able to jump 12' in her freshman year.

[keelowman]

Amy has jumps at Los Gatos, CA sometimes under coach Bob Slover and she jumps really well. Of corse the gymnastics background helps out a whole lot. She is pretty nice also.