Junior Tessa Sheets broke the 3A pole vault record and won the state championship May 21 at North Carolina A&T. Sheets cleared 12 feet 1 inch, breaking the previous best of 12 feet.
“[I felt] good; I was satisfied, but the week before, I cleared 13 [feet], and I was really hoping to clear a height near that, so I mean I was glad that I won, but I still always wish I jumped a little higher that day,” Sheets said.
Sheets and senior Jack Maynard have pole vaulted together at Northwood for three years. Sheets would often give pointers to Maynard.
“Tessa has actually given me a lot of pointers since she started going to private pole vaulting lessons; she would help me with my pole vaulting, which helped a lot,” Maynard said.
Head track coach Richard McDonald has coached Sheets for the past three years and has seen her improve. He was pleased with her performance and thinks she deserves to be state champion.
“At regionals, she jumped 13 feet, and she was a little under pressure, but the fact that she set a 3A record at 12 [feet] 1 [inch] was a really good performance,” McDonald said. “It wasn’t the greatest day with all the wind; it was a little overcast, but she surpassed the competition. She deserves to be state champion.”
Sheets will advance to nationals, which will take place June 17-19.
“She’s hoping to [jump] 13 feet or get a little bit higher,” McDonald said.
Maynard spoke about Sheets’ dedication to the sport.
“Tessa has gotten a lot better since she first started,” Maynard said. “I remember I was better than her up until this last year,” Maynard said. “This last season, she really just passed me; she has improved by I think about five feet since she started.”
Sheets began pole vaulting her freshman year and trains year around.
“I go to a club, and I pole vault on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and I’ve been doing that for about two years,” Sheets said. “Last summer, I went to a pole vault camp in Kansas for a week, so I do [pole vaulting] a lot during the summer indoor season. I don’t just do it outdoor season with the school.”
McDonald has many positive things to say about Sheets dedication to the sport.
“Tessa is a very good athlete; she’s made for the vaulting,” McDonald said. “She’s very competitive, and she works very hard at it, and she does a great job of applying what she learns.”
McDonald plans to continue teaching Sheets in the following season, knowing she can improve her skills and become a better pole vaulter.
“I don’t want to give her any pressure on what height she can do next year, but I think next year she can improve, and I think she should have high goals in the fall,” McDonald said.
– By Tory Scott
