Leslie Starnes 12-5 (TX)

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http://www.wacotrib.com/sports/content/ ... avidg.html

At the same meet, Rockdale’s Leslie Starnes cleared 12-5 in the pole vault to raise her own Central Texas record. Yet, she still has not pocketed a state gold medal in her specialty.

[belmore]

Way to go Leslie, 13' is around the corner.

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http://www.brazossports.com/stories/050 ... 509047.php

Rockdale pole vaulter chases elusive first place


By LARRY BOWEN
Eagle Sports Writer

Rockdale's Leslie Starnes has soared to great heights in the pole vault, qualifying for the state meet four times and earning a scholarship to Texas Christian.

There is only one height she hasn't reached in her high school career, and Starnes will have a chance to fix that on Friday at the UIL Track and Field Meet in Austin. Starnes will try to win the state championship after finishing second in each of the last two years.


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Rockdale Reporter/Ken Cooke
Rockdale's Leslie Starnes cleared 12 feet, 3 inches, to place second at state last year.
"I'd like to win it finally," Starnes said. "It's been kind of frustrating going three years in a row and the last two years coming in second just by a few inches."

Starnes has finished behind Ariana Ince of Gonzales in each of the last two seasons. Last year, Starnes cleared 12 feet, 3 inches, and then Ince cleared 12-6 on her last attempt to take the gold.

This year, Ince posted the best height at regionals when she made 11 feet. Starnes settled for a winning height of 10 feet on a wet surface at her regional, but the Lady Tiger cleared a personal best of 12-5 to win the district meet last month.

Unlike former A&M Consolidated pole vaulter Brittany McFarling, another recent state qualifier from the area whose father was a pole vaulter, Starnes had no family ties to the sport. She became a vaulter after doing well in open tryouts for the seventh-grade team.

"I was screaming [while running] down the runway after I'd just seen a few of my classmates fall off the pit," Starnes said. "Everybody was scared to go their first try and I was, too.

"I ended up winning district my seventh-grade year. Well, it just ended up being a lot of fun, and it was something I was natural at."

Starnes also played basketball for four years, played tennis for a couple of years and was a cheerleader at Rockdale.

Track coach Amy Brodbeck probably got the biggest contribution from Starnes, who ran the 200-meter dash and was a member of a couple of relay teams in addition to excelling in the pole vault. This year, Starnes asked Brodbeck to let her switch from the 200 meters to the 100, and the results were impressive.

Starnes finished second behind Navasota's Ti'anca Mock in the 100 meters at regionals. She ran a time of 12.58 seconds, earning a spot in Saturday's state final.

"Leslie is just really athletic," Brodbeck said. "She's amazed me ever since she came up and asked if she could run the 100. She has pretty much blown everyone out of the water in the 100. She was very impressive.

"She is one of the vital parts of my team. She gave us at least 20 points or more for every meet. She qualified for four events at regionals. She's amazing."

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http://www.temple-telegram.com/story/lo ... 5/11/31481

Rockdale vaulter Starnes, owner of two silvers, hungry for gold in final state meet
by Eric Drennan
Published May 11, 2006

ROCKDALE - In her three previous trips to the University Interscholastic League State Track and Field Meet, Rockdale pole vaulter Leslie Starnes has experienced almost everything.

She was pleasantly surprised by her fourth-place finish as a freshman, elated with her silver medal as a sophomore, then mildly satisfied with the same result following a heart-breaking ending as a junior.

As a senior with one last shot to stand atop the podium, Starnes tempers her desire for gold with a resolve to accept whatever happens.

“I was pretty satisfied with silver, but I still would like gold,â€Â