Pletcher to pole vault at University of Minnesota

By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com

Mara Pletcher is gaining knowledge about the Ripple Effect.

Loosely defined, it’s a principal that means one thing can have a profound effect on another thing, even if the two seem totally unrelated.

Pletcher gets this.

As a sixth-grader, she had an event picked out that she wanted to be her focus in track and field.

“I thought I was set on high jumping,” Pletcher said.

She had the desire, but outside influences provided a roadblock. One of her other activities was playing hockey. She was a goalie for a Bloomington-based club hockey team.

“I was never able to make a practice for the high jump,” Pletcher said, referring to conflicts between the two sports.

That she even became interested in track and field in the first place was a direct result of having attended Lincoln Trail Elementary School.

“I was first drawn to track in elementary school when we had ‘Junior Olympics,’” Pletcher said, “and the high school team held a track camp for the elementary kids once a year.

“These led me to join track in sixth grade.”

Just because she was unable to pursue the event which was her first choice, Pletcher didn’t give up on participating in track and field.

She settled on another event which also requires a participant to project themselves into the air. Pletcher took up the pole vault.

“As soon as I tried vaulting, I knew it was something special,” she said.

Soon, others discovered that she was something special in that endeavor, too. Pletcher, a senior at Mahomet-Seymour, recently signed a national letter of intent to continue in her specialty at the University of Minnesota.

The Ripple Effect has gone full circle. Because of hockey, she couldn’t high jump. Because she couldn’t high jump, she turned to the pole vault. Because she dedicated herself to that event – eventually giving up hockey – she earned a college scholarship.

It is the ultimate feel-good story about letting life happen and making the best of it along the way.

Pletcher didn’t take to the pole vault like a duck to water.

“I definitely didn’t have immediate success,” she said. “I was – and still am – quite the long-legged lanky girl, and learning the basics was pretty awkward at times.”

She soon learned that she was gifted with strength in areas where not everyone excels.

“When I started bending the pole, I realized that I have a pretty good feeling for the swing and inversion of the vault, two parts of the vault that many jumpers struggle with,” Pletcher said.

She didn’t have to go from novice to college recruit on her own. Pletcher formed an association with some of the area’s most-respected pole-vaulting gurus.

“I honestly can’t imagine that I would still be pole vaulting today without the help of my pole vault coach, Carrol Whitehouse,” Pletcher said. “This is my seventh year working with Coach Whitehouse, which is more than most athletes get to experience.

“I am incredibly grateful to be under the guidance of such a knowledgeable and passionate coach.”

They have worked together for so long that words are not always needed for him to communicate what is needed.

“I’m almost convinced that we can communicate telepathically,” Pletcher said. “He could be all the way across the field and a quick hand signal is enough to know what to adjust for the next attempt.

“I really appreciate how he always knows exactly what to say to help me or make me feel better in a stressful situation.”

As a high school freshman, Pletcher gave up hockey.

“This was partly because of my busy schedule,” she said. “The travel required for my Bloomington hockey team would have interfered with marching band, but I also wanted to pursue pole vault.”

A French Horn player for eight years, Pletcher has been a mellophone section leader in the M-S marching band.

She also devoted off-season time to track and field, specifically the pole vault. She has participated in the Pole Vault Junkies Jumps Club.

“My club pole vault coach, Bryan Carrel, has also played a huge part in my development,” Pletcher said. “I started training with Coach Carrel the summer before my eighth-grade year and he has supported me the whole way.

“Even on my rough days – or when I accidentally stepped on his bare foot while wearing my spikes – Coach Carrel knows how to crack a joke and simplify the vault to make me smile and jump confidently.”

Her high school coaches with the Bulldogs have also played a key role.

“Coach (Darren) Tee and Coach (Kyle) O’Daniel have also been incredibly supportive throughout my track and field career,” Pletcher said. “Coach Tee is one of the most selfless people I have gotten the chance to know. I don’t think I could name someone with a bigger heart for their team.

“Both Coach Tee and Coach O’Daniel were nothing but patient during my recovery process (when she was injured as a junior) and effortlessly help cultivate a feeling of family among the team.

“I can’t count the hours that Coach O’Daniel has spent listening and offering advice to me about whatever is on my mind.”

Throughout the process, Pletcher gained knowledge and confidence. Getting her technique refined wasn’t the only issue.

“My biggest challenge as a vaulter is the mental side of things,” Pletcher said. “I almost wish I could turn my brain off while I jump.

“I overthink everything. The most frustrating times while vaulting are when I get in my head. I always have fun and perform my best when I relax and joke around with my teammates in between jumps.”

During her time at M-S, Pletcher has also been called upon as a sprinter, competing in distances up to 400 meters. As a sophomore, Pletcher earned the fourth-place medal at state in Class 2A in the pole vault.

That’s the year when she began setting goals beyond high school.

“I think I realized that vaulting in college was one of my goals near the end of my sophomore year,” Pletcher said. “I had a strong finish to my season by jumping 12 feet at the state meet, and that was the first year I genuinely just had fun and enjoyed the experience.”

The follow-up season she hoped for didn’t materialize as planned.

Pletcher was sidelined during the indoor season as a junior with a growth plate injury in her hip.

The time away from vaulting proved to be an eye-opening experience.

“Having to sit out was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do,” she said. “I didn’t realize how much I loved pole vault until I was no longer jumping.

“Last year helped solidify my desire to continue vaulting in college.”

She returned to competition during the outdoor season as a junior and qualified for state, but was unable to place.

Pletcher had already made a name for herself in the sport and the injury didn’t diminish interest from colleges.

“I began hearing from colleges, reaching out to coaches, and taking my first college visits the summer before my junior year,” she said. “I also made a profile page so college coaches could review my stats and videos.

“My favorite part of the process was touring different campuses and learning about the track and field programs each school has to offer.”

Pletcher took unofficial visits to 11 colleges: Indiana University, Purdue University, Indiana State University, Appalachian State, University of Kansas, University of Northern Iowa, University of Akron, Austin Peay, University of Cincinnati, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and University of Minnesota.

She had home visits with coaches from Kent State and Minnesota. Indiana State was the first to offer multiple scholarships.

Pletcher wound up with a Final Four list of schools: the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Cincinnati and the University of Minnesota.

“I found that the best combination of everything I was looking for in a school was at the University of Minnesota,” she said. “Their academic reputation, internship opportunities within the city, campus layout, track program, athlete village and dedicated pole vault/multis coaches were too appealing to pass up.”

It was not a position she expected to find herself in as a freshman at Mahomet-Seymour.

“Not at all,” Pletcher said. “I think I was too focused on the adjustment to the high school season to think about anything further down the road.

“I was also in the dark in terms of collegiate competition levels, and didn’t realize that there is such a large range of abilities between different conferences in the three divisions.”

Minnesota’s interest didn’t wane when Pletcher was sitting out.

“I appreciated how all of the coaches remained in close contact when I was at my best, but also throughout my injury recovery last year,” she said. “It was clear that they care for their athletes and recognize potential beyond current performance alone.

“While at the junior day, I had a conversation with Coach (Matt) Bingle, the director of Minnesota’s track and field program, and I respected his team standards.”

Pletcher was particularly impressed with Bingle’s priorities.

“He told me that he wants his athletes to put their faith first, family second, academics third and track fourth,” she said.

Pletcher plans to major in kinesiology, and hopes to pursue a master’s degree in athletic training.

“It helped to experience the athletic training programs on college visits through both sides, both as an athlete who will be receiving care and as a student doing future clinical hours,” she said. “In 10 years, I would love to be working as an athletic trainer for a collegiate or professional sports team.”

Before she enters the working world, however, there are more goals to chase, starting with the M-S school record of 12-3 held by Mary Pat Choules. Pletcher’s best to date is 12-1.

Pletcher is thankful for living in an area where she could actively pursue her commitment to pole vaulting.

“I am very lucky to live in Central Illinois where there are such strongly supported clubs and coaches for pole vault,” she said. “I did not realize how rare it is to have a year-round club facility with equipment rental available, nor how few schools begin pole vault in junior high.

“Until my college search, I also didn’t realize that the state of Iowa doesn’t have pole vault at the high school level. It was even more surprising that not all college track teams have pole vault and many college teams, even some larger D-1 schools, do not have pole vault coaches.”

In a matter of months, Pletcher will embark on the start of her collegiate career.

“I realize that competition in the Big 10 Conference will be challenging but that is also part of what excites me,” she said. “I feel blessed that so many coaches recognized my potential based on my sophomore year, since I was injured last year and unable to fully compete.

“I am beyond excited to be part of such a respected team and I want to do my best to contribute to my team’s success.”