27-05-2025
Write this down: Guerin Catholic sophomore Amelia Smith is a state contender in pole vault
Be confident. Control the controllables. Choose to make changes.
These words, repeated in Amelia Smith's head at different points during her competition in every track meet, are written in her journal entry for March 29. That day, the Guerin Catholic sophomore won the state indoor meet with a pole vault of 13 feet, 3 inches.
That jump is marked in her journal, too, with this feedback to herself: 'Whoa keep it.'
Journaling takes on a different context for Smith, who meticulously keeps notes at all of her meets, jotting down thoughts to herself to review later – and during – her competition.
'When she turns in her journal to the coaches, she always gets an 'A' or 'A-plus,'' Guerin Catholic pole vault and high jump coach Kevin Horrigan joked.
Putting pen to paper works for Smith. Her pole vault at the Hoosier State Relays on that day in March is the sixth-best performance – indoor or outdoor – in Indiana girls' high school history. Smith's mark of 12-6 at last week's sectional meet at Hamilton Southeastern is the second-best during the outdoor season behind only Franklin junior Addison Martin's 13-0 mark in the sectional meet last week.
If you flip through the pages of Smith's pole vault journal, you will find her entries are not limited to meets. She records every practice attempt, too. Some portions read as motivation to herself, while others note the details: bar height, pole size, where her steps are, her grip on the pole. Then, of course, whether or not the attempt is successful.
'It helps me stay consistent during the meets,' Smith said. '(During the sectional meet) I moved back to get a different run. I went from eight steps to 10 steps in the middle of the meet. I was just kind of able to look at stuff from the past and say, 'My steps are usually here.''
Smith, a competitive gymnast until she was 13, takes the journal home after meets to review. She got the idea from a former pole vaulter she follows on Instagram, Shawn Francis. Francis, now a pole vault coach, wrote a book called 'The Pole Vault Toolbox.' Part of his philosophy for pole vaulters, especially those just starting out, is to write down the details of every attempt.
'I got a journal last year and started writing stuff down,' Smith said. 'It helps especially at the end of the season when we start to go back to basics to remember what pole I was on and where my steps were at and everything.'
Writing everything down helps Smith 'control the controllables.' While her goal is to reach the qualifying standard for the USA Track and Field U20 outdoor championships (13-7 ¼), there are some days when the weather conditions make those goals impossible.
'If you have a bad day in pole vault, it's a bad day,' Smith said. 'There's only so much you can do. You can't control the wind. Obviously, I was a little frustrated with that (during the sectional meet). It's something I just kind of have to push off to the side and say, 'My training is worked into this' and do the best you can.'
Horrigan said pole vaulting can be a bit like 'riding a roller coaster.' But the veteran coach said Smith's ability to absorb what she has learned and put it to use is invaluable.
'She can process almost anything instantaneously,' Horrigan said. 'Her work ethic is unbelievable and she's strong and fast. In this event, there are so many things that go into it that all those little components are so important. She's a student of the pole vault and an absolute joy to coach. I'm fortunate to be able to work with her.'
Horrigan said the close-knit pole vault community 'can help lift each other up on a bad day.' Smith is close with several of her top competitors in the event.
'They are all in the same boat,' Horrigan said. 'They know what it's like to have a bad day. The all know exactly what each other is going through.'
In Smith's case, she is more focused on the process than the end goal of winning a state championship.
'(Winning state) is definitely something I've thought about but I don't want to focus on it too much,' she said. 'Because if I let the season play out how it's supposed to, then it's going to work out.'
If she wins or not, Smith will have the story written. Just check the journal.
The first, second and third place regional winners in all individual events and relays advance to the state meet, along with any individual or relay team meeting the three-participant standard in the regional finals of their event.
>>>Ben Davis and Lawrence Central will host regional meets with the qualifiers from the Hamilton Southeastern going north to Lafayette Jeff. That includes top-ranked Carmel and No. 3 Hamilton Southeastern. Carmel won the sectional last week with 171.5 points to 138.5 for second-place HSE.
>>>Heritage Christian senior standout Kya Crooke will compete in the regional at Lawrence Central. Crooke has the top time there in the regional in the 100 (12.35 seconds) and is the defending state champion in the high jump and former champion in the long jump (19-3 in the sectional). Warren Central's Kira Smith could give her some competition in the high jump at Lawrence Central, ranking third in the state this spring.
>>>The 3,200 at Lawrence Central could be an interesting race. Bishop Chatard's Julia Score and Pendleton Heights' Ava Jarrell are in the field. Lucy Wood of Brebeuf Jesuit and Kelsey Rehmel of North Central could also contend. The 1,600 with Pendleton Heights' freshman Anya Zoeller and Franklin Central's Savana Miller could also be interesting.
>>>Brownsburg's No. 1 4x100 relay team will be tested by Pike and Terre Haute South in the regional at Ben Davis. The Bulldogs also have the top 4x400 relay team in the regional and one of the best in the state.
>>>Three of the state's best 400 runners – Omema Anyanwu of Zionsville, Amiah Rhodes of Ben Davis and Kylee Regalado of Tri-West – will compete at Ben Davis. The 100 and 300 hurdles will also be competitive with Pike's Jai Brown and Franklin's Aubrey Runyon the top contenders in the 100 hurdles and Brownsburg's Sophia N'Gbesso potentially the favorite in the 300 hurdles.
