Mary Saxer KWIK-E

May 15, 2009

Notre Dame senior Mary Saxer has a long history of success in the pole vault. The Lancaster, N.Y., native has trained with American Record holder Jenn Stuczynski and was the first high schooler ever over the 14-foot barrier. Saxer recently broke the Big East record and has the fifth-best vault in the country. Let's see how she does with her run at an NCAA individual title.

What are your goals for this outdoor season?
This outdoor season is well underway and my first goal was to vault over 14 feet again, which I did about a month ago. I vaulted 4.30 meters which is like 14’1. I, of course, wanted to win the Big East Championship again and break my own meet record, which I did last weekend. My next goal is to make it to NCAA nationals & place well…ideally to win it. I am qualified for U.S. Nationals which I plan on competing in and hopefully having a good day there and placing.

After you graduate, what degree will you have what's next for you?
I am a business major, so I will have a business degree in marketing. I have a job setup for after graduation in Chicago, however, vaulting is going very well so I need to finish out the season with that and go from there.

If you could pick a non-athletic profession to do the rest of your life, what would it be?
I would love to be a professional buyer for a big designer.

How high can you go?
I think I can go 15 feet with the right adjustments and poles.

Buffalo, N.Y. has another pretty well known female pole vaulter (Jenn Stuczynski). What has been your relationship with her and have you got to learn anything from her?
My senior year in high school was when Jenn really began vaulting. We had the same coach, Rick Suhr, so we were around each other a lot when training. Since graduation her career has really taken off and I have been busy away at school at Notre Dame so we have not had much contact, however, she is doing great and is an inspiration. She’s only been vaulting about 4 ½ years and has had so much success. I am so happy for her and it is cool to think that we trained together for a while and her hometown is close to mine.

For people that don't understand the seriousness of how good a genuine Buffalo chicken wing can be, can you try to describe this situation to them?
Well, I am in love with buffalo wings and especially Buffalo sauce. People think, “what’s the big deal?” But I can’t even describe it. It’s heaven in your mouth. You can’t say you’ve had good chicken wings until you’ve been to Buffalo and had wings from the Anchor Bar or Duffs!

How did you get into pole vaulting in the first place?
Well, in high school I was a sprinter and long jumper with long jump being my better event. I went to a long jump camp at Rick Suhr’s house with an assistant of Rick’s named Adam. They both saw me and talked and Rick basically put a pole in my hand and made me try the event. From the first day I think they saw a potential in me and so it took off from there. I began driving an hour three times each week to train. At first they said they could most likely help get me a scholarship to some colleges. Once my senior year hit, I broke the national record seven times, became the first high school girl to clear 14 feet and had my pick of which college to attend. It has opened so many doors for me and when I think about it, it has been an incredible ride that I never would have dreamed of.

You burst onto the national pole vaulting scene in high school. Four years later, how did that change your development? For better or for worse?
Well, I think there are several things to take into account. My rapid success in high school was amazing, however I don’t think I realized at the time all that I was really achieving. Now I look back and think “wow” but it all was happening so fast. My coach was a fantastic coach and he really knows the vault as good as anyone. And that was amazing for my development as a vaulter. The difficulty came with the change in coaching from high school to college. Any change in coaching is going to be an adjustment, and it sure was that for me. I have now adjusted and am doing well again, but my college career has been an adjustment as far as my vaulting goes. Being on the national scene at a young age in high school prepared me for the big-time meets in college. I had already competed against the nation’s best and former Olympians in high school, so adjusting to college meets was no big deal. My experience in high school gave me confidence and helped build my talent so that I could be successful on the college level and possibly thereafter.

Favorite celebrities and why?
Keith Urban is my favorite singer. He is a country singer from Australia and I just love his music. He puts on quite a concert too with his guitar solos and he seems to be passionate about what he does. I’ve seen him several times in concert and I feel that he makes each and every concert he puts on seem unique and special. Also, I am a Heidi Klum fan. She is beautiful and so poised and I think every girl looks up to her.

If you could have one meal, prepared by anyone of your choice, what would you choose?
My favorite meal is probably chicken cordon blue. I love chicken and cheese and this covers both areas!

What does it feel like to break national and world records?
It’s truly amazing when I sit back and think about the records I have broken. My pole vaulting career has been quite a ride, and there is still more to come!

What is the craziest thing that's happened to you for being a pole vaulter?
Knock on wood, I have never had a really crazy thing happen to me when pole vaulting. I think I have been fortunate. However, two years ago I was at a meet and my first two vaults of the competition I took of the ground, slipped off the pole and almost hit my head in the box. This happened twice in a row and it threw me for a loop and it was the first meet I had ever no-heighted in. That’s probably about my craziest vault story ...fortunately!

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#2	Mmhmm May 22 at 4:14pm not sure if every girl looks up to Heidi Klum, but at least she looks up to Jenn Stuczynski...like the change of pace, on an up-and-coming athlete that's not a runner! reply
#1	Anonymous Coward May 19 at 11:12am Mary Saxer is awesome! Congratulations on Graduating. Good luck with the rest of your season and go get them at regionals coming up in a few weeks! Go IRISH! reply