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Interval Session #126 - Ellie McCardwell

By Dave Devine - June 4, 2009

In the relatively short history of girls pole vaulting in the United States, some of the biggest talents have been converts from sports like gymnastics and diving, where acrobatic body control is already a large part of the athletic preparation. Pendleton Heights IN junior Ellie McCardwell, herself a 10-year veteran of gymnastics before entering high school, is the latest to make the jump, literally, to the pole vault pit.  After coming out for the track team as a sprinter her freshman year, McCardwell was convinced to try vaulting and quickly became hooked.  By the end of her sophomore year she was consistently in the mid- to upper 11-foot range, but this year has exploded into a reliable 13-foot vaulter.

This spring she has reeled off a series of jumps over the 13-foot barrier, and at the Pendleton Heights Sectional on May 19th she soared to a US#1 13-05.00 which hasn't been topped since.  A week later she was over 13-1 at the Regional, which sets her up nicely for the Indiana State Meet this weekend.  A relative newcomer to the elite level of the sport, look for McCardwell to make a splash at Nike Outdoor Nationals and the US Trials for the World Youth Champs this summer.

DyeStat senior editor Dave Devine catches up with the star of the Indiana pole vault runway on the eve her state meet.

1) First of all, congratulations on being the top-ranked high school girls' vaulter so far this season. Is that something you thought you'd achieve this year, or a concrete goal you set for yourself?  When you cleared 13-5, were you aware at that point you'd moved into the top spot, or did you find out later?  And can you talk about that clearance a bit?  You were over the bar on your second attempt, right?  How were your attempts at 13-8?

Thank you!!  Wow, you know I never dreamed that I would have the top vault in the nation at this point. My goal was 13 feet, which I knew would put me up on the list pretty high, but I found myself having to change my goals in the middle of the season. The thing I knew I needed to work on during the off-season was my plant. So I worked and worked and worked at it. It was frustrating for a time, but so worth it.

I definitely knew that the 13-5 jump would put me at the top. I was going for the top jump for a couple of meets by then, and to finally do it was a great feeling! I felt all of my hard work paying off as I went over that crossbar. I cleared 13-5 on my second jump and one of my jumps at 13-8 was good, but I didn’t get enough penetration into the pit and came up short.

2) At this point you're also one inch shy of the outdoor state record set in 2006 by Homestead's Katie Veith, although the top mark under any condition by a Hoosier prep is 14-0, also by Veith at the 2006 Reno Pole Vault Summit indoors.  Are those heights that you've had in your sights for some time now?  Obviously, the 13-6 is a mark well within your reach, but what about the 14-footer?  Have you had indications in practice or through your own progression that another 7 inches is realistic this year?

From the beginning of the season, I’ve wanted to go for the state record jump. I think it is very attainable, but my goals haven’t stopped there. Fourteen feet is definitely in my sights too. I think I can get that 7 inches, I just have to go into a meet fired up, ready to have some of my best jumps. I’m working a lot on my swing in practice right now, so hopefully that will do it.

3) I understand you initially got into pole vaulting at the encouragement of local coach Rod Hagerman as a freshman in high school, after ten years of competing in gymnastics.  Will you fill in some of the details of your introduction into the sport-- maybe how it felt for you the first time you got up on a pole, what it was that kept you coming back, and ways in which gymnastics training has crossed over into success in vaulting?

My first pole vault practice consisted of me running down the runway from about 30 feet, using a really small 10-foot pole and jumping a couple feet off the ground into the pit. It was so awkward for me holding the pole and running at the same time. I wasn’t very good at all my freshman year, but it gave my coaches and me something to laugh about; we had a good time goofing off and I really had a great time with it.

I think just the overall body awareness I got from gymnastics really helps me in the vault, because I know where I am in the air and it minimizes my falls and chances of getting hurt. I also think the mental aspect of it is very similar to gymnastics. You fall, but you can’t let it get to your head and you have to get back up and do it again.

4) I know you've done some pole vaulting indoors as well.  Can you talk about the difference between vaulting indoors and out, for those who've never done it? What are some of the challenges and benefits of each? Is there one you prefer over the other?

Indoor season, I come from a shorter run with shorter poles. Outdoor season is when I really push it and lengthen my run and get on bigger poles so I can peak towards the end of the season. The biggest challenge of outdoor is just the weather aspect. I live in Indiana where we never know what the weather will do. It can get really windy and rainy and that makes the vault more challenging. But, actually, I like outdoor season better. I like being outside in the fresh air and vaulting; I get a lot more pumped up for those.

5) Pole vaulting at the higher levels requires such event-specific training. Can you describe your coaching situation? Do you receive coaching from someone on your high school staff? Work with club coaches? Or others with special expertise in mentoring vaulters?

I have been really blessed to have so many coaches help me with the vault. My head coach, Ron Hinton, has let me work with different people to gain knowledge of the sport and that has been so helpful. I have worked a lot with Paul Babits in Fort Wayne during the off-season. He’s so knowledgeable about the vault and really got me going in pole vaulting.  I’m also working with Bob and Ryan Potter. Bob has been a great help and is a track genius! He has really helped me take my vaulting to the next level and made me a competitor.  I wouldn’t be where I am without the help of all of these coaches.

6) Have you ever crashed into the box or had a pole break while you were inverted? Do things like that rattle you, or are you able to accept mishaps as part of the equation?
 

I have crashed into the box while jumping and I know how much it hurts! (I think I still have a bruise from doing it one time from like two years ago…) Pole vaulting is such a mental sport, that I can’t let falls like that shake me too much. I just have to take time to “walk it off” and collect myself so I don’t freak myself out for the next jump.  

7) It sounds like it's been a successful year for the Pendleton Heights Lady Arabians too, with wins at the county, conference and sectional meets, and the first conference title in 15 years. I'm sure the pole vault is a fairly individual pursuit, but I know you do some sprinting too, and you're one of four captains on the girls team, right?  So can you discuss balancing your own goals with those of the team, and what it has meant to achieve personal success this season in the context of a larger success for your high school?

It has been a great season to be a Lady Arabian! I am one of the captains and that means that I have to be a team player. Coach Hinton has made me realize that a meet is not just about me getting a new PR in the polevault; it’s about scoring points for the team so that we can all succeed.  I’ve had to run the 4x1, 200, and pole vault in some meets, probably causing me to not perform in the pole vault as well. But our team is such a great group of girls, that I don’t consider it a sacrifice. They deserve to win and I do what I can to help. If I get a PR on top of a big team win, then that’s just icing on the cake.

8) From what I can tell, it seems like you've done most of your vaulting in the state of Indiana.  Have you competed in any of the post-season or summer meets in previous years, and are you considering doing so this season?  Any thoughts about Nike Outdoor Nationals, USATF Junior Nationals or World Youth Trials?

I’ve competed in a few low-key meets in the area in the past, but none of the big ones. This year I plan on really getting after it and getting a lot more big meets under my belt. I will be going to Nike Outdoors for the first time and also be competing in Michigan to try to qualify for the World Youth Championships.



Photos: Christy's Photography


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