BLACKSVILLE, W.Va. – It is undoubtedly true that, once you learn, you never forget how to ride a bike.
However, this aphorism definitely does not apply to an intensely technique-dependent track and field event like pole vaulting. Just ask Clay-Battelle juniors Jalynn Park and Ashley Chisler, who finished 1-2 Friday in C-B’s Rush Invitational.
For Park, whose winning 8-foot vault was a personal best, this season has been her first back “on the bike” since middle school, but she’s enjoying the sports’ unique challenge.
“It’s been a lot of fun, because it’s so different,” Park said. “There aren’t a lot of vaulters out there, and Ashley and I really support each other and help each other get better. It’s the kind of sport that has so many different parts to it, you really just compete against yourself, and try to get better every day.”
Chisler, who matched her career-best 7’6” vault yesterday, really missed the sport last year when the pandemic forced the season to be cancelled.
“There was no real chance to train for over a year.” she said. “So when we finally got the go-ahead, we had to try to catch up as best we could. It’s been tough, but it’s also been so great to get back out there and train and improve. For me, my favorite part is when I can work on one part of the process, kind of improve my form, then repeat that and become a more consistent vaulter.”
“They’re both leaders by example for us,” said long-time Cee-Bees coach Ted Cline. “Those two never miss a practice, and they both travel to Morgantown three days a week (to work with pole vaulting coach Jeff Core). They work hard to get better, and that hard work is paying off. And if they keep it up, I think both of them have a great chance to get to the state meet.”
Chisler, who qualified as a wild card two years ago as a freshman, recognizes that the path to the state meet won’t be easy.
“Our region is really, really tough,” she said. “Most of our best competition for qualifying for states (finishing in the top three in the four Regional meets, plus six additional wild card spots) will come from our Region, and that’s true for just about all events. But that’s a good thing, I think. It forces you to work hard and keep improving, because you have to if you want to make it to States, to be the best you can be.”
