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Of The Morning Call The numbers matter to Lindsay Regan. They drive her to run faster, train harder and jump higher. They compel her to work on her weaknesses, weaknesses that untrained eyes don't notice. Regan's numbers — 14-0 — have nothing to do with selfishness. They represent the height she wants to clear in the pole vault. Before last season, no girl in PIAA history had pole-vaulted 13 feet at the state championships. Regan, now an Easton High junior, did and claimed her first Class 3A state outdoor title. Her mission for the 2005 track and field season is to set another state record. And she wants to obliterate her old one. ''It's always competing against yourself,'' Regan said. ''When you step on the track, no matter what race you're in, you're always competing against yourself. You always want to improve on what you've already done. That's always been my outlook.'' |
| Can Regan reach her numbers? She'll have to improve her takeoff, the weakest part of her vault. She'll have to avoid injury in a sport rife with risk. But no one who works with Regan doubts she can eventually clear 14 feet. The real question is when, not if. Easton coach Frank Messa would like to see Regan jump 14-0 before the season ends. Mike Lawryk, the founder of the Vertical Assault Pole Vaulting Club and a coach of Regan's since she showed up at his camp four years ago, would, too. ''That's a huge goal for her,'' Lawryk said. ''That's a big jump. Gosh, is that going to come this year? I don't know. ''The one thing we have noticed from her, she's a bigger girl this year. She's becoming a more mature girl and you can see that. She's always been a strong kid, and now she's putting on a little more muscle. ''When Lindsay jumped 13-2 [at the Lehigh Valley Conference championships], she was only holding 12-3, 12-4 [on the pole]. The other girls that jumped as high as her were holding much higher than her. Now we hope with her being bigger, faster and stronger she can hold higher on the pole. If she can hold a foot higher than she did, a 14-2 jump wouldn't be a problem.'' A STEADY RISE Lindsay Regan grew up as a gymnast. When injuries forced her from that sport, she went searching for another competitive outlet. ''Golf, tennis, you name it,'' she said. Then one of her older sisters, Courtney, took up pole vaulting as an Easton freshman. Courtney went to Lawryk's camp during the summer, and Lindsay decided to follow her. With Lindsay, Lawryk saw immense potential from the start. ''I've had about 27, 28 state champions and worked with hundreds of kids, but she is my most gifted natural athlete,'' Lawryk said. Once she reached high school, Lindsay Regan quickly established herself as one of the state's top pole-vaulters. While Courtney finished her junior season by winning the PIAA Class 3A championship, Lindsay finished her freshman season by clearing 11-0 and taking third place at states. By her sophomore season Lindsay surpassed Courtney. Lindsay jumped 12-7 1/2 to win at the Penn Relays, 13-2 to win the LVC championship and 13-0 to win her first PIAA Class 3A state title. This winter Lindsay Regan captured her third straight state title at the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association championships, an indoor meet that is not sanctioned by the PIAA. That she jumped an indoor personal best of 13-0 was impressive. That she did it with just two weeks of practice — Regan is an Easton cheerleader during the fall and winter — wowed Lawryk. ''The thing I can say about Lindsay, besides being the most naturally talented kid that I have, she is the best competitor that I've ever had,'' Lawryk said. ''The girl's refusal to lose is almost dangerous for her because of the sport.'' A SOLID START The outdoor season has arrived, bringing with it some changes for Lindsay Regan. She isn't jumping with her sister Courtney, a freshman pole-vaulter at Princeton University, for the first time in her high school career, leaving her with mixed feelings. ''It was always nice to have that friend there by your side doing great,'' Lindsay said. ''She was always very supportive of me. But it's sort of a relief not having to jump against my own sister.'' One thing that hasn't changed is Regan's dual-meet dominance. She won the pole vault in Tuesday's meet with Dieruff, jumping a season-best 12-7. While the win was nice, Regan is more concerned with using her early meets to work toward her ultimate goal of 14-0. ''She's got tremendous work ethic,'' Messa said. ''At some point she'll eventually taper. At this point, she keeps putting up bar after bar.'' While Regan's attention is locked on 14-0, she figures to need time to clear that height. Lawryk said she has become a stronger runner since last season but still needs to improve her takeoff, something the two have worked on during individual drills. Lawryk also believes pole-vaulters need to feed off a crowd's energy to jump their best, so Regan's best performances may not come until the competition stiffens. The thing is, Regan doesn't mind putting in the work. Perhaps it's because she doesn't consider pole vaulting work at all. Or perhaps it's because of the numbers that drive her. ''So far I think it's all going well,'' Regan said. ''Everything is coming together. All the things I worked on in indoor season are appearing in my jumping all together. ''I just love the sport,'' she added. ''The girls that are there with you are so nice you can't do anything but smile and have fun. It's always been something I do for fun. ''I just happen to excel at.'' |
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