Dreaming for new heights

Editor’s note: On Thursday, March 27, Rhinelander resident and Rhinelander High School assistant track coach Jayme Wyss competed in the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in Gainesville, Fla. Competing in the Women’s 35-40 age group, Wyss won the world championship in the pole vault with a height of 3.80 meters (12 feet, 5 1/2 inches). Wyss, a former collegiate pole vaulter at Concordia University-St. Paul (Minn.) achieved a lifetime-best performance in the event during the competition. Wyss shared a blog post she wrote about the experience with the River News, which we are republishing below.

After breaking the American record for W35 (women’s 35) Indoor Heptathlon in January, which included a vault of 3.50 meters (11 feet, 5 3/4 inches) without vaulting for six months, I started thinking about the Masters Indoor World Championship in March. Masters track is for anyone aged 35 and over.

This was the first Masters Indoor Worlds to be held in the United States. Located in Gainesville, Fla., I could drive down with my poles in roughly 21 hours and I would just compete in pole vault. And yes, it would mean that the day before competing in the biggest meet of my life, I would be driving 14 1/2 hours in a car!

Last year, I was forced to get on my biggest pole at a meet or two. That was a big deal. I tied my lifetime PR (personal record) of 12 feet (3.66m) on it last year. In January, I was already jumping on it at the heptathlon, and I jumped in a college meet in February on it as well (made 3.55m/11-7), and then blew through it. Meaning, I could have used a bigger pole. Only problem being, I didn’t have anything bigger. So after that February meet, I started asking around if anyone had a pole I could borrow that would fit in with my line of poles. Thankfully Chris from Maven Pole Vault hooked me up with a couple poles to borrow for the month leading up to the meet. After I left with them, he said, “No charge for the pole rental, just win on that 13-160 USA!!!”

Overall, practice was going great! I was able to vault twice a week at the Hodag Dome for the month leading up to Worlds. I also kept up with once a week hurdle training because I feel like it has helped me with speed. I lifted three times a week, and I did one base mid-distance workout and one longer run per week as well. Not all of that was just for pole vault, as I am trying to keep a base of training for doing a decathlon this summer as well. I threw some bars up during some practices, and my last practice before World’s, I made an 11-10 bar. I wasn’t going to put it any higher — I needed to save that for the meet. Later, I realized that would have been a practice PR and an indoor PR for me. 

I had done my research on my competitors. There were eight of us in the W35-39 age group. Four countries would be represented: France, Canada, the Philippines and the U.S. Most were moms. Of the six that I could find information on, they all had higher lifetime PRs than me. A couple had once jumped higher than 13 feet. Some were hard to find recent marks on though. I knew France (Melissa Demontigny Hinkin), Canada (Teresa Hill), and Alicia (Essex Libby) from the U.S. should bring some big competition for sure. 

Warm ups were great. When I got back to my full approach, I got out that 13-160 USA pole. It’s red, white and blue. 

In practice, I had not been able to get in on it. That was a bit discouraging, as my big 155 pole was feeling too small at practice even at times but I just couldn’t get in on that next pole. When it came to this meet though, I knew I needed to be jumping on a bigger pole. I was spiked up and it was a big competition so I would be fast. I jumped on that borrowed pole for the whole competition. There was no looking back. I was committed to doing the things I knew I needed to do in order to have my best shot at my biggest jumps.

Starting height was 2m, but I would wait until 3.20m (10-6) to come in. Typically in pole vault, a bar will move up 6 inches at a time, but at this meet, it would go up by 10cm (roughly 4 inches) at a time. So strategy was important because you don’t want to take too many jumps and be worn out when you get to the big heights. Since I had been practicing well, I was hoping to make 3.70 at this meet (12-1 1/2), which yes, would be a lifetime PR, but I felt like I could do it. I also felt like 3.60 (11-9 3/4) would not be enough to win at this meet, and I wanted a shot at the gold. 

There was wait time from when competition started until my height to start, so without having run throughs before coming in, I mentally prepared myself for the chance that I might miss on my first attempt, but that it was OK and I shouldn’t panic. I would dial it in on my next attempt and be OK. Well, I missed on my terrible first attempt. So I made it with an ugly jump on my second attempt. Sometimes, I just need time to get things clicking with a bar up. You also need your opening height to be low enough that you can look ugly doing it — so I did just that!

I passed at 3.30 (10-10) and went straight to 3.40 (11-2) to save my jumps for higher heights. First attempt clearance at 3.40, 3.50 (11-5 3/4), and 3.60 (11-9 3/4). After the 3.60m height, there were only three of us in my age group left! But, while it was nice to know that I made podium, I knew that I had bigger goals in mind. At that point, France (Demontigny Hinkin) was perfect on the day with zero misses, which had her in first. I had one miss, and Alicia had at least two misses from an earlier height. Canada (Hill) finished in 4th. 

The bar went up to 3.70m (12-1 1/2). Alicia made it on her first attempt. I made it on my first attempt! I touched the bar, but it stayed up. Honestly, that make should have felt more exciting as it was a lifetime PR, but I had it in my head that it was what I could, and needed to do, and I had the competition to focus on. France (Demontigny Hinkin) missed all three of hers, putting her in third — and just leaving Alicia and I.

The bar went up to 3.80m (12-5 ½). Alicia was before me. She missed; I missed. She missed again; I missed again. At this point, I quietly verified with the event judge that if we both missed, that I was in the lead based on total misses. She confirmed. Alicia missed. I knew what that meant, but I focused on my last jump. AND I MADE IT! Another LIFETIME PR! I bounced up from the mat and celebrated. When I came down off the pit onto the runway, the reality of that jump hit me and I was overcome with emotion. I bent down and started crying. I had just PR’ed by 5 1/2 inches. At the Masters Indoor World Championship. At age 38. A height that I never wanted to allow myself to dream of because I thought it was too far out of reach.

Some dreams are just that, dreams. Other times, you get to stand up on the podium with a gold medal around your neck and listen to the “Star Spangled Banner” play. Then drive all the way back home a World Champion after having had the best meet of your life.