Big stages in front of 6,000 screaming onlookers are enough to give even the more seasoned competitor a bit of angst. At the PIAA state track and field championships held at Seth Grove Stadium on the 150-year-old-plus campus of Shippensburg University on Memorial Day weekend, there was plenty of tension around the pole vault pit.
After nearly two and half hours of vaulting and 23 competitors from all corners of the state, there were only two left standing in a jump-off to see who would win the gold medal. Given that Trinity’s Adeline Woodward and Lilyana Carlson of Bermudian Springs are friends and practice together during the week, the stage was set for a repeat of the District 3 final a week earlier on the same vault pit when Woodward set a District 3 record, clearing 12-feet to capture the gold over her friend Lilyana. Both jumpers failed to clear 12-feet in the state final, but Carlson was able to clear 11’-6” to capture the gold medal as Woodward hit the cross bar with her elbow.
“This was an amazing experience,” Woodward said after the last jump at states. “Nobody likes to lose or tries to lose or tries for second place or anything like that, but losing to Lilyana is fine with me. She deserves it, and I am very happy for her.”
Woodward said that she perhaps tired somewhat from all the preliminary “safety” jumps she completed to ensure she was progressing in the competition so as to not have to make a jump cold while waiting to jump at a higher bar, given she was the number-one seeded vaulter. There was no question that the competition was physically grueling.
Last year, Woodward came in sixth place at states. “I definitely learned a lot today and will take things away from the competition that will help me,” she said. “I have been working on keeping calm and just trusting my coaches. And that has really worked the last couple of weeks. I will take that away from here for sure.”
A gold medal at districts and a silver at states shows she has plenty of mettle to handle the big stage in front of the crowded stands at Shippensburg.
(Photos by Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness.)
By Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness
