AUBURN, Ala. - Sophomore Katie Stripling accomplished what no other Arkansas pole vaulter has done.
Stripling, a sophomore from Jonesboro, won the SEC Outdoor title with a third-attempt clearance of 13 feet, 1 6/2 inches Saturday at Auburn's Hutsell-Rosen Track. Arkansas finished the second full day in second place with 52.5 points, trailing Florida, which has 70.
Stripling isthe first Lady Razorback to win indoor and outdoor pole vaulting conference titles. Stripling did it in the same year, as she won the indoor title in March.
She joins former All-American Stacie Manuel as the only Lady Razorback to win two conference titles. Manuel won indoor titles in 2003 and 2005, April Steiner won an outdoor title in 2003 and Jodi Unger won outdoors in 2007.
"That's exciting," Stripling said. "They're really good so it's good to be jumping up with people I consider really good pole vaulters."
Stripling's victory helped 1 Arkansas earn 19 /2 points in the event. Junior Sarah Landau finished fourth, freshman Tara Diebold was sixth and freshmanKristen Keith finished tied for seventh.
Stripling trailed LSU's Katelyn Rodrigue and Alabama's Lynda Cooper on the tiebreaker when her two opponents missed three attempts at 13-1 6 /2. Stripling made her final attempt, a difference between third and first for her.
"Katie fought really well," Arkansas vault coach Bryan Compton said. "She was a little nervous in that situation. Katie did a good job coming back and doing what she had to do to win it."
Stripling entered the event as the clear favorite to win as she was the reigning indoor champion and had the secondbest outdoor clearance in the nation. The expectations added pressure that Stripling had to overcome.
"I put more pressure on myself, even in small meets," Stripling said. "There were a lot of expectations going into it. I knew I had to prove something."
Arkansas Coach Lance Harter said what Stripling proved is that she can deal with thirdattempt pressure. He said that will be invaluable at the NCAA Championships.
"Katie Stripling, to have to really dig down and make a big third jump is a credit to her," Harter said. "It's a perfect situation to prep her for nationals. She's that gifted, you are going to have a target on your back."
Arkansas finished the night with nine points in the 3, 000-meter steeplechase. Senior Caroline Peyton was fourth in 10 minutes, 44.68 seconds and sophomore Megan Jackson was one place back in 10:44.77.
"I thought if we had a really good effort, we could get 10 points; if it was perfect, 11," Harter said. "That was a game effort."
Seniors Peter-Gaye Beckford and Kelsey Mollenkamp earned four points in the javelin for the Lady Razorbacks. Beckford, fifth in the heptathlon Friday, finished sixth in the javelin with a distance of 145-7.
Mollenkamp was eighth at 128-0-8.
Beckford also f inished fourth in the long jump at 20-1 2/4 to earn another five points. Ole Miss sophomore Brittney Reese won the long jump with 1 a SEC record jump of 22-5/4.
"She's a good enough athlete, she can do amazing things," Harter said of Beckford.
Arkansas senior Dacia Barr and freshman Jillian Rosen advanced to today's final in the 1,500. Barr qualified in 4:25.90, well off her personal-best time, and Rosen qualified in 4:27.76.
Barr, the wily veteran, knew all she had to do was finish in the top three of her heat - which she did - and keep herself fresh for the all-important final.
"That's all that matters, the time wasn't all that good," Barr said. "The goal was for me and Jillian to get to the next round."
Sports, Pages 46 on 05/18/2008