Tamara Diles Article (Washington State)

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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/h ... ack31.html

Prep Flashback: Diles' college career winding down at WSU


JIM BATES / THE TIMES
Tamara Diles was a state champion at Newport.
Athlete: Tamara Diles, Newport High School, Class of 2001.

Sport: Track and field (pole vault), gymnastics.

High-school rewind: Won the state championship in the pole vault her senior year, clearing a Class-3A record 12 feet. Also led her gymnastics team to four consecutive state titles, becoming the first Washington state gymnast to win three consecutive individual titles in two separate events: bars and floor exercise.

After high school: As a freshman at Washington State University, Diles cleared 4.35 meters (14-3 ¼), establishing a school record and earning USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week. A two-time indoor pole-vaulting All-American, Diles owns the school indoor and outdoor pole-vaulting records, as well as both freshman records.

Personal: Diles, 23, attends WSU. Parents, John and Roberta, live in the Seattle area; John is a personal trainer and Roberta owns a gymnastics facility. Brother Trenton, 25, goes to school in San Diego and sister Jocelyn, 21, attends Bellevue Community College.

Fast forward: Diles decided to go to WSU because of its notable track program and appealing campus atmosphere. A track athlete for five years, Diles will miss life as a student-athlete.

"I'm sad that it's my last year and it's all going to be over," Diles said. "There's a lot of respect in this community for athletes."

After recovering from an injury that took away most of her sophomore year, Diles said she hit a mental wall. She found a remedy from an unlikely source.

"Mentally I was struggling, and pole-vaulting can be a very mental sport," she said. "It became much easier after doing yoga for a summer. It was really good at helping me relax."

Diles also credits a lot of her pole-vault success to her gymnastics background.

"In gymnastics you learn about your body at an early age," she said. "You develop a stronger core strength than [in] other sports."
Having finished all her course work for her sports-management degree, Diles is seeking an internship before she can graduate.

"I'd love to be an athletic director at a high school," Diles said. "But it's still early."