5 reasons why Biermann's win is special
Commentary
Jack Nicholl
Issue date: 3/18/10 Section: Sports
1. She deserves it.
Senior Katrina Biermann is the best pole vaulter ever to attend Truman. She owns the indoor and outdoor records in the event and has broken her own records multiple times.
Biermann has been strong throughout the indoor season after placing sixth at nationals in the pole vault in the spring. She entered the national meet with an automatic mark and the third-best vault in Div. II. In her final successful vault, she bested her record with a vault of 13-01.75.
"I just wanted to go and vault like I had been vaulting all season," Biermann said. "It finally all came together at the right time and at the right meet."
2. She didn't out-jump everyone.
The scoring in pole vaulting is like no other. It's not uncommon in sports that you win because your opponent didn't get the job done. But it's rare when you fail more than your opponent, you equal your opponent's best performance and you still win.
Biermann failed to clear the bar in five of her last seven jumps. The runner-up failed four out of seven total vaults. Yet Biermann won because she failed at the right time. She needed just one jump to clear the second-to-last height, while Lauren Stelten from Minnesota State University-Mankato needed two.
Biermann went first in the final round and nearly cleared the bar twice. After Biermann again was short, it was a make-or-break vault for Stelten in her third attempt.
"I couldn't watch," Biermann said. "I was sick to my stomach. … I had to close my eyes and lay down. It was too much for me to handle."
Biermann said she didn't expect to beat Shelten coming into the meet, who has the best mark in Div. II.
"It was kind of surreal," Biermann said. "It took a while to set in. I still can't believe it. When it first happened I was completely shocked."
3. Few people at Truman have any idea how to pole vault.
People can run, throw, kick, swim, skate, jump, hit a golf ball and roll around on mats.
Senior Katrina Biermann is the best pole vaulter ever to attend Truman. She owns the indoor and outdoor records in the event and has broken her own records multiple times.
Biermann has been strong throughout the indoor season after placing sixth at nationals in the pole vault in the spring. She entered the national meet with an automatic mark and the third-best vault in Div. II. In her final successful vault, she bested her record with a vault of 13-01.75.
"I just wanted to go and vault like I had been vaulting all season," Biermann said. "It finally all came together at the right time and at the right meet."
2. She didn't out-jump everyone.
The scoring in pole vaulting is like no other. It's not uncommon in sports that you win because your opponent didn't get the job done. But it's rare when you fail more than your opponent, you equal your opponent's best performance and you still win.
Biermann failed to clear the bar in five of her last seven jumps. The runner-up failed four out of seven total vaults. Yet Biermann won because she failed at the right time. She needed just one jump to clear the second-to-last height, while Lauren Stelten from Minnesota State University-Mankato needed two.
Biermann went first in the final round and nearly cleared the bar twice. After Biermann again was short, it was a make-or-break vault for Stelten in her third attempt.
"I couldn't watch," Biermann said. "I was sick to my stomach. … I had to close my eyes and lay down. It was too much for me to handle."
Biermann said she didn't expect to beat Shelten coming into the meet, who has the best mark in Div. II.
"It was kind of surreal," Biermann said. "It took a while to set in. I still can't believe it. When it first happened I was completely shocked."
3. Few people at Truman have any idea how to pole vault.
People can run, throw, kick, swim, skate, jump, hit a golf ball and roll around on mats.
Be the first to comment on this story