Stokke off to record launch

Chris Yemma

As a freshman, winning the CIF State pole vault title last season,

the question -- just how much better can she become? -- was raised.

The answer was provided Saturday at the Eagle Invite track and

field meet at Santa Margarita High. Newport Harbor sophomore Allison

Stokke vaulted an Orange County record 13 feet, 4 inches in her first

competition of the season, tying a national outdoor sophomore record

and bettering her previous personal record (12-8 at the state meet

last year) by eight inches.

Stokke had three attempts at 13-9, which would have topped the

previous high school national outdoor record of 13-8 1/2 set in 2003 by Kira Costa of San Joaquin Memorial in Fresno. But in just her

first competition of this season, Stokke said she is confident she

will set a new national record this year.

“I think so,” she said. “Hopefully it will work out that way.”

Newport pole vaulting coach Logan Odden provided a glimpse of what

most observers thought after Stokke topped 13-4.

“She surprised me today,” he said. “I thought she would jump well,

but I didn’t think she’d jump that well.”

From the top of the coaching staff down, heads were turned with

Stokke’s jumps. After she cleared 13-0, a crowd gathered around to

watch her final jumps. The 13-4 clearance caused a roar.

“This was great,” Newport girls track and field coach Eric Tweit

said. “She’s a great competitor and you don’t put anything by her.

[Her presence on the team] has a good effect because a lot of the

other kids are enjoying her success.”

Stokke, a former gymnast, turned to pole vaulting in October 2003

after growing tired of gymnastics. She competed for five years in the

four main events -- floor exercise, vault, uneven bars and balance

beam.

Her first competitive pole vault she broke a school record, and

the coaching staff knew they were onto something, Tweit said. Stokke

then gave up gymnastics and concentrated solely on pole vaulting.

And just over a year later, the sophomore has a state championship

under her belt, a national freshman record and will most likely break

the national high school record this season, as well as a CIF

Southern Section record.

Shayla Balentine of Morro Bay jumped 13-8 in 2001 for the current

Southern Section record.

Saturday’s vaulting performance raised questions of a four-year

state sweep by Stokke.

“That would be pretty nice,” Stokke said. “I think it’s pretty

possible.”

Stokke was the only Newport girl to win her event Saturday. Junior

Whitney Blue, a second-place finisher in the CIF State Division II

cross country championships in Fresno this past fall, finished third

in the 1,600 meters in 5:19.87, nearly 15 seconds off her best time.

Mater Dei’s Samantha Constantini was first in 5:09.50.

Jessica Robson finished third in the 100 hurdles in 17.15, while

the Newport distance medley relay team finished second in 13:11.30.

On the boys side, it was the throwers who pulled out big

performances. Bo Taylor (52-7 3/4 ) and Trevor Theriot (48-10)

finished first and second in the shot put, and Taylor threw a

personal record 170-2 1/2 in the discus for second. His throw was 25

feet further than his previous best.

The boys medley relay team of Martin Bernard, Travis Mayfield,

Nick St. Andre and Kenny Rakestraw finished third in 11:43.