Katelin Rains is the defending NCAA Division II national champion in the pole vault. She has started off her indoor season with bang by erasing her own NCAA Division II indoor pole vaulting record of 14’0 and setting the new record at 14’1/2. Needless to say, she is very excited. “It was a really good feeling to know that I could pick up where I left off. I’ve been training harder. I still have a lot of learning to do. Jumping well in the first meet was great, but I have high expectations, and I need to jump this well consistently, to get to where I want to be” she said. This accomplishment so early in the season has not quenched her thirst for higher heights. “Knowing that I can start above fourteen feet just excites me and makes me want more. My goals keep getting higher as my heights progress” Katelin came to the sport of pole vaulting via the route of diving. Her high school swimming and diving coach suggested that she come out for the track and field team, and once she tried it, she was hooked. Being a diver helped her with becoming a pole vaulter. “Being a diver helped a lot. I have a really good sense of body awareness in the air from diving. I feel like I have the control I need when I’m upside down” she said. This is not to say that she was never without fear. “I remember the first time I bent the pole, being slightly terrified, and the first time my College coach told me to drop my head back during my vault. He told me to scare myself, and when I did, it worked” she stated. After high school, Katelin decided on to attend Minnesota State. “When I first talked to Head coach Jen Blue, I found out that Minnesota State had a two time National Pole Vault Champion. When I first met my pole vault Coach Matt Kolb, and head track Coach Jen Blue, they were both so enthusiastic about the program, their excitement made me want to be a part of it too. After meeting the coaches and seeing the indoor facilities, it was an easy decision. Minnesota State is also known for their education program, and because I knew I wanted to be a teacher, it seemed like a perfect fit” she said. At Minnesota State, Katelin fit in perfectly. Katelin’s favorite highlight from last year being when she cleared 14 feet at the Indoor National Championship meet. “I didn’t expect to go 14 feet that day, so it kind of opened the door for me to dream bigger” she explained. Dream bigger or should I say higher, she did. She says that her goals for this season are “For this indoor season, I’d like to make my vault more consistent so I can take it with me through outdoor. I’d like to jump 14’8 this year. As a junior, I have two years of experience behind me and two years of opportunity ahead of me, so I feel that I am in a position to keep looking forward and continue setting new goals.” All this success has not made Katelin perfect; everybody has an embarrassing story. “My freshman year, I had been practicing clearing my opening height the day before we were supposed to leave for Indoor Nationals. After I cleared the crossbar and landed on the pit, I looked up and before I knew it - the crossbar had fallen off and hit me in the mouth giving me a purple lip that I got to wear all week. I was so embarrassed at the National meet” Katelin recounted. There is sure to be more success and maybe a few more embarrassing incidents. For in five years she sees herself still vaulting. “I’d like to travel and vault in different places. Hopefully I can get better and keep training for as long as my body allows” she said. Maybe what Katelin is getting for Christmas will help her with this goal. “My mom actually got me a Wii for Christmas, which I’ve been wanting for a while. We got the Olympic game with Pole Vault on it that I’m excited to try” *Picture Credit to MSU Athletic Commucations The weekend of December 14, 2007 Due to winter break there were very few meets this weekend. I believe there is no better way to burn off that final frustration. Many teams hosted intersquad competition but there are two worth noting that happened this weekend. Grand Valley State University Holiday Open- At this meet there was a mixture of Division II, Division III and NAIA schools. Some highlights on the women’s side were MCC’s Ashley Tukes running a 59.40 in the 400ms with Grand Valley State’s Katie Mandziara coming in second with a 59.94. Grand Valley State also took first in second in the mile with Katherine McCarthy clocking a 5:16 and Katie Alfredson running a 5:17. Grand Valley State’s Emily Fox won the shot put with a 14.05 and gaining a provisional qualifying mark. Grand Valley State’s Kathie Posa won the weight throw with a 17.96 gaining an automatic qualifying mark. Her teammates, Emily Fox and Mary Bogner also gained the mark by throwing a 17.96 and a 17.66. Some highlights on the men’s side were MCC’s Kyle Wilson running a 50.27 in the 400m closely followed by Grand Valley State’s Troy Rock running a near identical time. In the 5000m, Grand Valley senior Ryan Holm earned the provisional qualifying mark by running a 14:54 nearly a minute over second place, Spring Arbor’s Steve Ianz who ran a 15:47. University of Nebraska Kearney Pre Holiday Open- Some highlights on the women’s side were Concordia’s Charista Zehnder running a 7.37 for 55 meters and she also won the 200m with a time 27.13. Nebraska Kearney’ s Kelli Dring earned the provisional qualifying mark in the long jump with 5.67m. Nebraska Kearney’s Jake Wissing also doubled in the 55m and the 200m running a 6.50 and 22.61.Nebraska Kearney’s Spencer Huff earned the automatic mark in the long jump with a 7.31. His teammate Ross Fellows earned the provisional mark in the triple mark with a jump of 14.81. Nebraska Kearney’s Brandon Karlin also earned a provisional mark in the weight throw throwing a 17.74.