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Mercer's Alford eyes state pole vault title

By HAL MORRIS
Staff Writer

HARRODSBURG - Lindsey Alford's parents have told her she's always been a daredevil.


So when the Mercer County junior was a freshman, she took on a new challenge to meet her adventurous spirit when she became a pole vaulter.


"It just looked like something challenging, and something new for me to do besides just running around the track," she said. "It kind of gives me a rush, and it is a challenge."


Alford earned a trip to the Class AA state meet last season, placing 10th at 7 feet, 6 inches. But this spring, she has, well, elevated her game to even greater heights.


Her vault of 8-6 May 10 at Harrodsburg established a new personal best for Alford and put her among the leaders, and possibly on top, in Class AA.


She'll get a good regional tune-up Friday at the 16-team Central Kentucky Conference track meet at Harrodsburg. Running and field events begins at 6 p.m.


Alford, who also runs the 800-meter relay, the 1,600 relay and the 300 hurdles, came into the season just trying to get back to state.


"I was thinking I would just try to beat that and work my way up. I've already proven to myself I can, now it's time to figure out what's next to do," she said. "I had in mind I wanted to get higher, but my goal was just to get to state and see where I was at so next year I can see who's back and see what I can do."


But she may get to realize her state title dreams this season.


"I don't want to curse ourselves, but people have told me she has a chance to win state," Mercer's first-year coach, Luci Hockersmith, said. "But we don't want to stop there."


Credits instruction from Hockersmith


Alford credits a lot of her success to the hands-on instruction she gets from Hockersmith.


"Last year I didn't really have anyone come and talk to me during the meet. Luci has been the one who has made me feel comfortable and has helped me visualize," Alford said. "It seems she was there to motivate me and help me believe in myself.


"She's been such a great coach this year, and I think that's why I got 8-6, because of Luci."


Hockersmith said Alford is just beginning to realize how good she can be.


"She's got a raw talent. And what I said to her was talent is raw, technique is beautiful," Hockermsith said. "If we can get her technique down, her talent's going to carry her a lot farther than she's going right now. She's got so much potential.


"And Lindsey's a very humble athlete. I don't think she will ever reach the point where she thinks 'OK, that's good enough,' because of her work ethic. She will work and work and work, and she will continually get better.


"There comes a point where you can't get any faster, can't get any stronger. But she'll never give up."


She practices at Harrodsburg


What may be more remarkable about Alford's season is the fact she has to travel to Harrodsburg for practice because Mercer does not have a pole vault pit at the school.


"I usually come to Harrodsburg at the end of the week, on Thursday sand Fridays," she said. "It makes me frustrated because when I get over here my first few vaults aren't like they were in a meet, and I get frustrated with myself. But then it's the fact I don't keep a routine.


"If I had more practice I think I could be a really good vaulter. I just have faith in myself like that."


Hockersmith said it's amazing how much Alford has improved with what little time she's allowed to devote to vaulting.


"How would hurdlers get better without jumping hurdles? Sure we can do drills on the track, but nothing can substitute for the actual vaulting experience you get when you plant in the box swing up and land on the mat," the Mercer coach said. "There's no substitute for that."


Alford said she wants to vault in college, and hopes to attract some attention from coaches at camps this summer.


"I don't want to go to a big school to where it will be hard for me to keep in it. I want to go to a small school where I'm comfortable," she said. "I'm up for any challenge I can get, but I don't want something to tear me apart."

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Mercer's Alford takes state pole vault title

By HAL MORRIS
Staff Writer

LEXINGTON - After she failed to clear 8 feet, 6 inches, Lindsey Alford sat by herself, burying her face in her hands and wiping away tears.


Then a few minutes later, she was a state champion.


The Mercer County junior pole vaulter cleared 8 feet on her first attempt Friday at the Class AA State Track & Field Championships.


However, she and two others failed to make 8-6. Since Alford made 8 feet on her first attempt, she got her state title, beating Candice Walls of Powell County and Russell's Jamie Tabler.


It wasn't exactly the way she envisioned winning.


"It's a little frustrating. But I'm so excited. I came out last year and got 12th and now I'm one," she said. "It's overwhelming. I just can't explain."


Alford easily cleared 8 feet, knowing it was important to get the lesser heights out of the way as soon as possible.


"That's what I kept telling myself. It was an easier height for me, so I've got to get it on the first try," she said. "If I miss, I'm going to regret it because it's going to come down to the last vault."


Alford didn't think she would have much problem getting 8-6.


"I think I was thinking about it too hard. I was thinking about the other vaulters and Luci (Hockersmith) was telling me I was going off the wrong foot," she said. "I was mainly worried about the other vaulters, that's what my biggest problem was."


She pounded the mat with her fist


As she landed on her third try at 8-6 Friday, she pounded the mat with her fist.


She went and sat by herself for a while before running her heat of the 300-meter hurdles.


Hockersmith, the Mercer coach, said she could see how much Alford was struggling.


"You could see she was frustrated in herself, and going into the hurdles, she probably felt the need to over compensate," Hockersmith said.


"I'm really hard on myself. I have expectations and if I don't exceed them, I yell at myself. I'm thinking, 'I let myself down, I let my coach down, I let my team down,'" Alford said. "All that was going through my mind at once and it was hard for me.


"After I missed 8-6. I thought, 'How could I be doing this at state. It's when you should do your best.'"


She was seeded number one


She cleared 9-1 at the regional a week earlier and was seeded number one at the state, which she admitted put a little pressure on her.


"I would much rather be the underdog than be on top. It gives me more pressure if I'm on top," she said.


She liked her chances going into Friday's competition.


"I've got confidence in myself, so that gave me a boost. And I felt good every week when I vaulted and I got more conformable," she said. "I would get that feeling and would try to repeat it. At night I was laying in bed going over certain drills Luci told me to do."


Hockersmith attributed part of Friday's performance to a lack of practice time.


"She hasn't practiced since regional. We don't have a vault of our own to practice on," she said. "At the open track, Lindsey had to work late, and we got here at 6 p.m. (Thursday), and it was already closed."


But none of that mattered once Alford was on the podium getting her first-place medal.


"She still got state," Hockersmith said.