Jenn Suhr Calls It A Season

[Pogo Stick]

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=196&Itemid=118

Her Seasonal Goals Accomplished,
Jenn Suhr Calls 2010 A Year


by Jon Hendershott
After a '10 campaign of exactly three meets, American Record-holding vaulter Jenn Suhr has decided to end her season.
The 28-year-old New Yorker reached a season's best of 16-½ (4.89)—the highest women's leap in the world this year and the No. 3 all-time U.S. vault—to win her fifth straight U.S. outdoor title.
Those two goals were central this year for the vaulter and coach-husband Rick Suhr. So, according to Jenn's agent Rich Kenah of Global Athletics, she decided to end her year.
"She had three goals for the year as she got back to full health and fitness," said Kenah.

"First was to win the USAs. The second was to have the highest mark in the world.

"And the third was to end 2010 and head into the championship years of 2011-12 healthy and ready to get right back to training.

"Rather than risk injury, she decided not to head to Europe."

Jenn won her fourth U.S. title last year, but then tendinitis in her left Achilles tendon flared back up. She had been hobbled by the same problem in ’07 and last year's bout ultimately forced her out of the Berlin Worlds.
Of course, between those two injury-marred years, Suhr was totally healthy in ’08 and set her 16-1¾ (4.92) AR to win the Olympic Trials en route to the Olympic silver medal in Beijing.

After a long recovery/rehab stint in late ’09 through this winter, Suhr skipped the indoor season and didn't return to competition until the New York Diamond League meet on June 2. There, she topped 14-9 (4.50) for 2nd behind Jillian Schwartz (15-1/4.60).

But two weeks later at the USAs in Des Moines, Suhr roared back. She needed three tries to clear her 14-9 opener, then made 14-11 (4.55) initially. A second-time make of 15-3 (4.65) and first-timer at 15-7 (4.75) gave her the victory ahead over Becky Holliday (PR of 15-1/4.60).

Suhr then surprised both herself and her coach with a second-attempt make at 16-½, the third-highest clearance of her career. She then charted three misses at an AR setting of 16-4¾ (5.00).

A week after Des Moines, Suhr was eager to compete in the Eugene Diamond League meet, but swirling winds bedeviled her approach and she missed three times at her opening setting of 15-¼ (4.58).

With no major championship on the line for the rest of the ’10 season, Suhr ended her year.

Before the Pre met, Suhr said of her victory at nationals, "I was relieved. When it was over, I was proud of my coach and myself, the way we worked together, the way we strived for that win.

"A U.S. title is really special to us. We really enjoy going to the nationals and supporting the meet. Those titles are very special and we take them seriously."

Last year's Achilles problem caused some changes in her training for this season, Suhr explained: "Last year, I did a lot of plyometrics and I was really strong in my legs and in my jumping. But this year, we backed off of that.

"I was a little nervous about that, not having as much training and jumping. But it seems okay; we're learning to train me as an individual athlete. So I'm pretty careful of the workload because I don't want to get my Achilles fired up. And I also wear flat gym shoes in training and not spikes."

She added that she is careful what she does in training: "I know what I want to do and where I want to be. But it's a progression to get there. That's a frustrating thing about coming back: you know what you want to do, but your body isn't doing it.

"But it was great to try 5.00 at nationals. I even had the crowd clapping for me on my last try and I usually never get the crowd involved because I don't want that to mess me up.

"But I got the clapping and it was fun. I'm having more fun now."

Rick explained, "Honestly, I was surprised she made 4.89. I didn't think she was ready to make that. 16-foot jumps don't come often, but when she hit it, she made it by a good chunk. I think that jump could have made 4.95 [16-2¾]. It was a big jump."

The coach-athlete duo believes that three aspects affect Jenn's jumping: the physical, mental and technical. Rick explained, "This year, physically and technically Jenn is better than she has ever been. Her strength tests before New York showed she is stronger physically than ever. And technically, she has jumped very well.

"Now mentally, that's different. She went 51 weeks, basically a full year, without competing. And not jumping much in practice. She didn't feel she was ready mentally to jump in New York and I agreed.

"But two weeks later, just before nationals, I felt that she could either jump 4.50-4.60 [14-9/ 15-1] in Des Moines or she just might light one up. I just didn't know where it might happen. It wasn't like Beijing, where you are peaked out and ready to go on that one day.

"But that's a big jump: I'll take 16-½ anytime, anywhere. That will medal you just about anyplace. There are very few people who have jumped that, ever."

[rainbowgirl28]

I think that puts Becky Holiday on the Continental Cup team.

[Bubba PV]

Very smart move by Jenn and Rick! Congrats on the success and maturity to know what battles to pick!! Bubba