Opening the vault to success

Setting school records in the first two seasons of competition for an athlete opens the door to endless possibilities in the final two seasons. For junior pole-vaulter Emily Tharpe, this is exactly what she wants to continue.\nTharpe first set the IU women's record for the indoor pole vault her freshman season when she cleared 3.91 meters at the Big Ten Championship in February of 2002. She cleared the same height one year later at the Big Ten Championship held in Bloomington.\nTharpe also holds the IU women's record for the outdoor pole vault with a height of 3.96 meters, which she set in May of 2002 at the Billy Hayes Invitational here at IU.\nIn four meets this season, Tharpe cleared 3.75-meters in a home tri-meet with Michigan, Kent State and Indiana State; 3.65 meters in Columbus, Ohio in a tri-meet with Ohio State and Purdue; 3.70 meters in Columbia, Mo. in a meet with Missouri, Nebraska and Wichita State; and 3.80 meters in this past weekend's Indiana Invitational.\nShe attempted to clear the NCAA provisional mark of 3.95 meters in the Indiana Invitational, but was unsuccessful.\n"I've started out with sold performances," Tharpe said. "I think that I defiantly can go a lot higher. In the next couple of meets is where I want to start making my (personal records) and improving so that when I go into Big Tens, I have a lot of confidence."\nIU coach Randy Heisler said Tharpe's consistency has gone up since high school, but she has not had one notable performance because of the level of consistency she reached. Heisler said when Tharpe does have that performance, it will be a big jump that takes her from being one of the best vaulters in the Big Ten to a vaulter making noise at the national level.\nThe pole vault for women is a recently added event in both high school and collegiate competitions. Tharpe got her start in the pole vault when she decided to go out for the track and field team in high school after having previously competed in gymnastics.\nTharpe said the pole vault fit something she was interested in, especially with her background in gymnastics.\n"(Gymnastics) helps a lot with body awareness," Tharpe said. "I know where I am when I am in the air and as far as being able to do complicated moves all in a sequence, a lot of that has to do with gymnastics."\nHeisler said for Tharpe's choice to compete in pole vaulting is a natural fit coming from a gymnastics background.\n"If you are athletic, you're fast, you're strong, be a vaulter," Heisler said. "That's where I think all of our girls' background probably originated -- they were gymnasts and didn't have anywhere to go with gymnastics, so here's the vault."\nIU pole vaulting coach Phil Henson said it is "fairly typical" for women vaulters to have a background in gymnastics and they are generally well rounded athletes which will help Tharpe for her quest to raise the bar.\n"If we can get her to the point to utilize all of her speed ... there is no telling what she can do," Henson said. "I think she is right on the verge of a breakthrough and I certainly hope that it comes soon and this year"