LSU’s Laurent vaulting into new territory

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Mickles: LSU’s Laurent vaulting into new territory

By SHELDON MICKLES
Advocate sportswriter
Published: May 14, 2009 - Page: 1C

There have been a lot of firsts in Rachel Laurent’s track and field career since she began her senior season at Vandebilt Catholic High School last spring.

For starters, while still in high school, the six-time LHSAA state pole vault champion became the first Louisiana-born female to clear the 14-foot barrier.

Since arriving at LSU last fall as the jewel of the Lady Tigers’ recruiting class, there have been more firsts.

Laurent, the nation’s top-ranked prep vaulter last year, became the first LSU female athlete to win the pole vault at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships, then two weeks later became the school’s first All-American in the event when she took fifth at the NCAA indoor meet.

To be sure, there are more on the horizon.

Laurent can become LSU’s first female pole vault champion in the SEC outdoor meet, which begins a four-day run today in Gainesville, Fla., with the multi-events.

That’s a lot for any 19-year-old, but it all seems to be just the tip of the iceberg for the Houma native.

The 2008 U.S. junior champion also finished fourth at the World Junior Championships and this year won the titles at the nation’s premier meets — the Texas and Penn Relays.

“I’m very much ready for another first,” Laurent said when asked about perhaps adding the SEC outdoor crown to her résumé .

There will be a challenge Sunday from Arkansas’ Katie Stripling, the SEC leader who’s gone 2Ø inches higher than Laurent’s school-record 14-1ø. But another first could still be in the cards.

“I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress in my jumps and I’m pretty happy how the season has continued to go,” Laurent said. “I’ve had a blast in the competitions. The indoor season ended very successfully and the outdoor season is kind of following the same pattern. So I’m ready for conference.”

One thing is for sure, Laurent won’t let the pressure of trying to become the first LSU female vaulter to win an SEC outdoor title get in her way.

“I try not to think about it because I have too much to concentrate on,” she said. “I know how to do it and I have fun doing it. If it’s another record or a first, that’s icing on the cake.

“Half the time, I don’t really know what the meet record is or if it’s a ‘first.’ So I really try not to think about that stuff too much.”

Which is just fine with LSU jumps coach Todd Lane, whose main goal is for Laurent is to finish higher at the NCAA outdoor meet than she did at indoor nationals.

“Rachel has developed nicely this season,” Lane said. “Anytime you get someone who was a superstar in high school, you worry because the progression is going to be more difficult — and that’s because they’re competing at a high level already.

“But she’s gotten faster on the runway and she’s a better athlete overall than she was when she came here.”