Pole vault is an extremely difficult sport that requires precise timing, speed, and coordination. Breaking an NVL record for a sport which needs this much skill is next level.
Senior Isabella Bianchini broke the record for pole vaulting by launching herself over the pole set at an impressive 9.6 feet.
This was not an easy feat as Bianchini had to endure many hours of practice, workouts, and even had to control how much food she ate.
“I definitely have to watch what I’m eating. I like to lean towards more junk food but I generally try to stay to eating a lot of fruits, drinking a lot of water, trying to stay away from salty [and sweet] foods like chips and doughnuts,” said Bianchini.
Bianchini began pole vaulting during her sophomore year at Woodland. She qualified for states and got second place in the NVL that year and realized her potential in this sport. She came back to pole vault in her junior year for indoor and outdoor and qualified for states once again.
“There’s days to practice and refine techniques, but generally we’ll have a hard workout [then] it’ll be, not a rest day, but an easy day and we’ll have that big moment to apply [our skills],” said Bianchini.
Bianchini wants to enhance her capabilities and reach higher.
“I’m hoping to crush ten [feet],” said Bianchini. “ If I get ten feet, I would break the NVL indoor record.”
This achievement did not come easy as Bianchini needed to practice methods that assisted her in getting over the bar while reaching higher at the same time.
“With pole vault you break down each component of your job. You have to make sure that when you’re on a runway, you’re taking a certain amount of steps,” said Bianchini.
The techniques that pole vaulters use help to make sure they don’t jump outside of the mat. Holding one knee up, also known as the “drive knee,” helps people like Bianchini get higher and further into the mat.
While she is competitive and is always trying to improve herself in this sport, Bianchini wants everyone to have fun while vaulting.
“You’re gonna have ups and downs, but give it a shot. It can be a ton of fun,” said Bianchini. “If you stick with it, and you keep working at it, you’ll break records. You’ll get medals. It pays off.”
