Excelling to set records
Cody Ewers
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: Sports
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"You'll beat me fair and square one day," Bruce Wackernagel said to his daughter after each race.
Bruce, saw a future track star in Chelsea - even at her very young age - and, unlike some fathers, did not let his daughter get an easy win. Instead, he pushed her to run as fast as she could hoping one day it would pay off. Little did he know this competitive spirit encased in his daughter would drive her to break school records and give her the constitution to compete at the collegiate level.
"We would always race around the house when I was a kid, but he would never let me win," Wackernagel said with a chuckle. "It was very emotional. I cried a lot, but it helped me be a better competitor when I got older."
At the beginning of her high school career, Wackernagel focused her efforts on cross-country and long distance track, but by the time she was a sophomore something else caught her attention.
After a hip injury in high school, Wackernagel's competitive spirit urged her to come back strong, and she sought to break school records. Her coach informed her there was no record for pole vaulting at her school, and she decided to set one. By the time she was a senior, Wackernagel displayed extraordinary ability in her newfound trade, setting a school record and switching her focus to pole vaulting.
Wackernagel's mother, Lauren, remembers the first time she heard about her daughter's newfound passion.
"After she hurt her hip she tried to reengage and break school records," Lauren said. "I never thought her pole vaulting would go this far, but she's always been a competitive person."
Her success in high school earned her the scouting attention of Hillsdale's head track and field coach Bill Lundberg and assistant coach Jeff Forino.
"We saw her as one of the top athletes in the state coming into this year," Lundberg said. "She is always smiling and her joyful heart helps to make it about the team and not herself."
Assistant coach Andy Towne said Wackernagel is extremely coachable and will listen to whatever he says - an attribute allowing her to accomplish her goals much quicker.
The personalities of Hillsdale's coaching staff drew her to choose Hillsdale over Grand Valley State University, her other top prospect. Since her coming to Hillsdale, she has formed close bonds with these coaches - Forino in particular. To explain coincidental mishaps, Wackernagel and her friends have convinced themselves Forino is a part of the mafia and he frequently uses this to his advantage.
Since she arrived at Hillsdale, she has continued to improve and has already surpassed most of her goals for the year. She has cleared 11 feet 2 inches in her last two meets, breaking her personal record, and now aims to jump 12 feet 3 inches to put her name in the Hillsdale College record books as highest female pole-vaulter.
Wackernagel said one of the toughest parts of pole vaulting is the concentration.
"There are a lot of things you have to do before you jump," she said. "Mainly you have to stay calm. You can't freak out when you see the bar go up, even if you've never jumped that high."
Wackernagel practices four days a week to prepare for weekend meets. Pole vaulting practices consist of running exercises, gymnastics and underwater vaulting - a new training technique for collegiate pole-vaulters.
The team practiced underwater vaulting in the Roche Sports Complex pool last week. As a fellow teammate laid on the diving board and held a practice pole parallel to the water, Wackernagel surfaced, gasping for air and striving for the pole. She winced in pain as her nostrils filled with water. Before submerging once more to repeat the painful process, Wackernagel regained enough composure to splash water on dry teammates standing nearby.
Freshman Tyler Breault, a fellow pole-vaulter, said the practice helps slow down the release and perfect form. He said it translates very well to the real thing.
"Gymnastics works your body awareness more than anything," Wackernagel said. "We do cartwheels, handstands, flips. Basically, we play around when coach isn't looking."
Her fun-loving spirit made it easy for her to fit in with the other track girls this last semester.
"I really bonded with the girls when I got here," Wackernagel said. "Big time!"
Wackernagel said the coaches and captains make practice fun and productive - even the hard ones. This is something she cherishes and gives her peace about her college decision.
Wackernagel's teammates, junior Sarah Kauk, said she enjoys Wackernagel's presence on and off the track.
"[She] is very much her own person; she just enjoys being who she is," Kauk said. "Every time we're around each other fun stuff always happens."
Faith is also very important to Wackernagel. She tries to keep God as much a part of her activity as anything else.
Wackernagel said even though track meets can last all day, it is easy to stay entertained when not cheering on teammates.
"Mostly we just end up talking and laughing," Wackernagel said smiling. "You get to know some of the other teams but mostly we just hang out with each other and have a great time."
Remembering the emotional races around the house Lauren said her husband never giving an unearned win to their daughter helped propel her to the success she now enjoys.
Nowadays, it's hard to find a time when Bruce is willing to race his daughter.
Wackernagel thinks it might have something to do with the fear of a father losing to his daughter.
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