'Soar' Winner
The sky's the limit for Plymouth soph Engstrom

BY ED WRIGHT
May 28, 2010, 7:15 a.m.

  Here's a simple, successful Reagan-omics formula for pole-vaulting success: speed + upper-body strength + solid work ethic + timing + athleticism = state-qualifying height.

  The formula has worked in a big way for Plymouth sophomore Reagan Engstrom, who has qualified for the Division 1 state track and field meet with just over one year of pole-vaulting experience under her belt.

  A state-qualifying gymnast as well, Engstrom is one of the few athletes who has qualified for state meets in two sports.

  "When people find out I'm a pole vaulter, they're usually shocked," said Engstrom, smiling. "Then they'll ask me, 'How did you get into that?'"

  Her answer makes a lot of sense.

  "A former teammate of mine from club gymnastics pole-vaulted and my dad told me that gymnasts pick it up naturally because a lot of the movements are similar -- the running and jumping, the swinging, plus you need upper-body strength in both sports," she explained. "Half-way through last track season, he convinced me to give it a try and I've been doing it ever since."

  After excelling throughout the KLAA Kensington Conference dual-meet season, she placed fourth at the conference meet before soaring to a personal-best height of 10-6 at last week's Division 1 Regional meet.

  The effort propelled her into the June 5 Division 1 state meet in Rockford, where she'll be competing against the best of the best in Michigan.

   "Probably the toughest thing to pick up at first was the timing," said Engstrom. "It's really confusing to try and plant the pole and jump at the same time. If you don't do it perfectly, you're not going to go very high. Running speed is very important, too. The slower you are in your approach, the lower you're going to jump."

  Engstrom credits Plymouth pole-vaulting coach Kevin Palmer and her years of competitive gymnastics for her early success in the unique event.

  "Gymnastics gave me a lot of strength," she said. "It also helped with my timing. Swinging on the bars helped, too, because you have to swing over the bar. A lot of it is related."

  Was there a fear factor during the early stages of her pole-vaulting career?

  "Oh, yeah," she said. "In fact, every time I upgrade to a new pole like I did this week I'm a little nervous because every pole is different. But I'm not going real high yet, so it's not too bad."

  Like her pole-vaulting teammates, Engstrom names her poles.

  "We named the new pole 'Predator' and the old pole was named 'Goliath'," she said, smiling. "We try to give them intense names."

  Engstrom said the feeling she gets when she's at the apex of her vaults is nearly indescribable.

  "It's definitely a rush," she said. "The best part about it is when you get to the top of your vault and you look out over the distance; it's a great feeling."

  The feeling is even better when you hit the pit below and the bar is still in place.

  It's a feeling Engstrom has experienced regularly this spring thanks to her perfect execution of Reagan-omics.

  Ed Wright can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.