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http://www.carmitimes.com/articles/2006 ... ports2.txt

State champ Hendricks betters own mark at Carmi
By TOBY BROWN, Times Sports Editor
Published: Wednesday, May 3, 2006 5:04 PM CDT

The defending Class A state champion in the pole vault put on an impressive display in Carmi Tuesday.

In the warm-up to today's Black Diamond Conference girls' track championship meet, Carterville junior Katherine Hendricks set a new personal record by clearing 11 feet, 4 inches.

Needless to say, the performance (which was two inches better than her winning height at the state meet in 2005) is a new BDC record, replacing Hendricks' former standard of 10-6.

The pole vault competition was held Tuesday in Carmi instead of today's meet site, Eldorado.

Eric Dixon's host Lady Bulldogs took second and third place, with sophomore Abbey Gholson and freshman Haley Nichols each clearing 7-6. Carterville's Sara Keim was fourth, also at 7-6.

Hendricks, who drew applause from the crowd of 10 to 15 onlookers with every height cleared, was battling a sore hamstring while setting her new personal best.

http://www.mariondaily.com/articles/200 ... orts05.txt

Hendricks repeats as pole vault champion
By Justin Walker, Marion Daily Republican, jwalker@mariondaily.com
Published: Monday, May 22, 2006 11:13 AM CDT

CHARLESTON - The ceiling keeps getting higher for Carterville's Katherine Hendricks.

Hendricks, a junior, breezed to her second state title Saturday at the IHSA Class A Girls State Track and Field meet before topping out at a nationally-recognized height of 11 feet, 7 inches, a personal best.

Hendricks won after clearing 10-6 - she didn't even enter the competition until the bar reached 9 feet, the height that qualified jumpers in Friday's preliminaries - and didn't even miss a jump until the 11-foot mark. She missed her first attempt at 11-3, cleared that to improve her own state finals record by an inch and then sailed over 11-7 on her first try.

She didn't expect to clear the mark on her first attempt.

"I was just hoping I'd make it," Hendricks said. "I didn't know how many decent jumps I had left."

Three attempts at 11-9 came up short. The damage to all previous records had been done, however, with little competition to speak of on the runway.

"It's kind of weird," Hendricks said. "I'm used to not having too much competition down here, but I didn't expect to go up there and have the same thing. It just gave me more chances to rest."

Hendricks didn't have to look far for motivation on Saturday. Her height would have placed third in Class AA, where the winning jump was 12-6. She hopes to clear 12 feet this summer in order to attend the USA Track and Field Junior Olympic Championship in Baltimore.

Herrin's Jessica Foster was also in the pole vault finals Saturday but actually went backward in the standings. She cleared 9 feet in the preliminaries but topped out at 8-6 in the finals.

http://www.thesouthern.com/articles/200 ... 392811.txt

Hendricks, Spencer defy rules with wins

By Scott Mees, The Southern


CHARLESTON - Not every athlete needs the breakfast of champions to accomplish great things. Carterville's Katherine Hendricks and Pinckneyville's Kimberly Spencer achieved back-to-back state titles Saturday, with very little in their stomachs, at the Girls State Track Meet.

Hendricks dominated in the pole vault (11-7), broke her own state record, and defeated her closest competitor by more than a foot.




She ate "nothing" for breakfast and just drank Gatorade so she could make her weight for the pole vault. Hendricks was accompanied to the event by her parents, grandparents and younger sister, Natalie.

"I just want to at least jump close to where the AA girls are jumping next year," Hendricks said. "I'd like to know that I could actually compete with them instead of just being in single A."

Living in the small town of Carterville, Hendricks is proud to bring another championship back to the home of the Lions.

"This is pretty amazing because we don't win very much stuff very often," Hendricks said. "They're all excited for me."

Another perk of winning it all for Hendricks is a promised gift from her mother.

"Me and my mom made a deal that she'd have to buy me rims for my car," Hendricks said. "So she was kind of amazed that she had to do that still. I just want some shiny ones."

Hendricks' father, Scott, is also the coach of the Carterville girls track team. He provided her with some extra motivation during her freshman year. He attended some camps with her and decided to try and vault himself.

"He tried it a couple of times, and he'd do it every once in a while," Hendricks said with a laugh. "I was having trouble jumping eight feet, and he tried it for his first time and made it. I kind of got mad at him."

Coach Hendricks may have beaten his daughter in the past, but she's easily passed him by on her way to consecutive state titles.