Rachel Laurent excels in first year (LSU)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20090 ... first-year

Laurent excels in first year

Rachel Whittaker
Staff Writer

Published: Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 10:28 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 10:28 p.m.

HOUMA — With her freshman season at LSU complete, Houma native Rachel Laurent has vaulted her way into the LSU track and field record books.

Click to enlarge
LSU pole vaulter Rachel Laurent performs during a meet earlier in the track season. Laurent earned All-American status and set the LSU indoor and outdoor pole-vaulting records.
Buy photo
From LSU Sports Information

Laurent said her first year as an LSU pole-vaulter was unlike anything she could have imagined.

“It exceeded my expectations by a lot,” Laurent said. “Everything I was able to accomplish means so much to me. All the experiences I had traveling to meets and competing and the people I’ve met have been amazing.”

What exactly did she accomplish?

After a prestigious pole-vaulting career at Vandebilt Catholic, Laurent garnered All-American status this past year and set the LSU indoor and outdoor pole-vaulting records — 14 feet, one-half inch and 14 feet, 1 1/4 inches.

Laurent set the outdoor mark, her personal best, at the 82nd running of the Texas Relays in April as she became the first Lady Tiger to win the women’s pole-vault title at the meet.

She also achieved the highest jump in the 115 years of the Penn Relays — 13-10 1/2 — an event Laurent said stands out for her the most because of the “history behind it.”

Laurent finished fifth at the NCAA Indoor track and field championships with a mark of 13-7 1/4. LSU jumps coach Todd Lane said Laurent was faced with one of the most intense national meets in recent memory.

“Any time you go to the national meet, it’s always a challenge,” Lane said. “Everybody you’re competing against is at a very high level. That was by far the most competitive national meet. In any other year Rachel probably would have won.”

Laurent wrapped up her debut season at LSU by qualifying for the women’s pole-vault finals at the NCAA Division I Outdoor championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Laurent finished 11th, and the Lady Tigers claimed sixth-place as a team.

“I was very pleased to make it there, first of all, and then compete with the best in the nation,” Laurent said. “It was also something that brought our team together and makes us stronger for next year to possibly get a team championship.”

Lane said Laurent’s breakout freshman season had some rough patches.

“The pole-vault is a difficult event because it ends in failure, not success. There’s no in-between,” Lane said. “But each meet was good experience for her to see how the pole moved.”

Lane said one change Laurent made was adjusting the kind of poles she used.

“She’s stronger and faster now, so she is able to get on bigger poles this year,” Lane said. “She needed to be on the 14’ series. It took a bit of getting used to.”

Laurent, who is currently taking summer classes at LSU, said one reason she gained strength is because she sustained no major injuries during the year.

“I know if I’m not healthy, I can’t perform at my best,” she said. “This year I’ve pretty much accomplished that goal. Toward the end of the season my body started getting tired, which is normal because you’ve been active for like 10 months. My body needs a break right now.”

LSU track and field coach Dennis Shaver said Laurent’s health and champion presence were invaluable for the Lady Tigers last season.

“I’m overjoyed at the kind of season she had,” Shaver said. “The first year for anyone is an adjustment, but she didn’t let that stop her from her tremendous accomplishments.

“The key to staying healthy throughout the college season is being a good communicator. Training creates a cumulative effect, and she’ll continue to learn about her strength with another year of training under her belt.”

Shaver said Laurent and the rest of the team took a break from practice until Saturday before resuming workouts, and he said Laurent can expect to push herself harder to improve.

“Each year we would expect from all our athletes a one to three percent improvement,” Shaver said. “No one comes to our program and expects to just stay the same. No matter how high she jumps, we always expect her to go a little higher.”