New Kid on the Block (Female Gymnast goes 12'1 first meet)
Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:44 pm
http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/03/26/ ... ulter.html
Angie Rummans was looking for something new. She still had the competitive drive, but her love for gymnastics had faded.
Fortunately, a fellow gymnast introduced her to pole vaulting. And thus, a career was born last July --one that is beginning to show more and more promise as she competes for Hilton Head High's track team this spring.
Rummans has participated in only one track meet this season -- and it was enough to show her natural talent. At the Mellow Mushroom Relays at Wando last weekend, she pole vaulted to 12 feet, 1 inch. Already, that's good for the eighth-best mark in the nation and the top in South Carolina.
The Island Packet/Beaufort Gazette caught up with the Seahawks' newest talent to discuss her new career.
Question: What made you want to do something other than gymnastics?
Answer: I was a gymnast for 12 years. I started when I was five. I made it to Level 10. I always thought I'd do it in college, but I sprained my ankle two weeks before the state meet last year and bombed it. It pretty much put me out of the running to get a scholarship.
Q: So how did this pole vaulting career start?
A: This summer, I finally decided to quit gymnastics and go to pole vaulting. I got burnt out on gymnastics. I didn't love it anymore. ...I had a friend that was a gymnast that quit two years before I did. She took up pole vaulting and I thought it was so cool. I always wanted to try it. So I said, 'Why not?'
Q: It seems like it can be a pretty intimidating sport. Were you timid about trying it?
A: A little bit. But gymnastics pretty much got the whole fear issue out the way because I've been doing such crazy things in gymnastics. It really wasn't that much different.
Q: What was your initial learning process like?
A: Oh gosh, the sand drills into the sand pits and a lot of basic pole drops for hours. It was a real building process.
Q: At what point did you realize you might be pretty good?
A: My club coach said I could be good because of my background and my height and my long limbs. So I guess that and the fact that it was similar to gymnastics and how it translates over made it really easy.
Q: In what aspects does it translate?
A: A lot of the body awareness is the same. The power and impact is the same. It's all about knowing how to control your body.
Q: Take me through competing two weeks ago for the first time.
A: I didn't really know to expect. I went in first at 10 feet. Then I did 12-1 and that was pretty good for me. I was really happy about that for my first meet.
Q: Has it sunk in how high up that ranks in the county?
A: It's kinda seems a little surreal to me since this happened so quickly for me. I never saw myself doing this in a million years. Last year at this time, I was focused on doing gymnastics and I've just done a complete 360. I'm starting to wrap my head around it and it's pretty cool. I think I might surprise a few people since they haven't seen my name out there.
Q: Does this make you wish you had started this sooner?
A: In a way, it does. But I'm happy with my gymnastics career. I'm glad I did it, and I think it's helped me with track and field.
Q: You also did pretty well in the high jump at the meet in Wando, right?
A: Yeah, I just started messing around with that about two weeks ago. I thought it looked cool, so I wanted to try it and the coaches let me do it at the meet. I like it.
Q: Your gymnastics career forced you to travel a lot. Is it a little easier just practicing right outside your high school?
A: I like it a lot. My gymnastics background put me out of the loop with everyone because I trained in Savannah five days a week. Gymnastics was a lot of work. A lot of work. So I really never saw anyone that I knew. Doing school sports has kind of put me back in the loop. It's been a lot of fun.
Q: Have you thought about making a career out of this?
A: Oh yeah. It makes me want to continue throughout college and do well with it. I've had a few interests from colleges like Virginia Tech and UNC and South Carolina.
Q: What would you be doing this spring if you hadn't started this?
A: I don't know what I'd be doing. I really don't know. Probably be bored and just focusing on school.
Read more: http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/03/26/ ... z0jVCrBV0E
Angie Rummans was looking for something new. She still had the competitive drive, but her love for gymnastics had faded.
Fortunately, a fellow gymnast introduced her to pole vaulting. And thus, a career was born last July --one that is beginning to show more and more promise as she competes for Hilton Head High's track team this spring.
Rummans has participated in only one track meet this season -- and it was enough to show her natural talent. At the Mellow Mushroom Relays at Wando last weekend, she pole vaulted to 12 feet, 1 inch. Already, that's good for the eighth-best mark in the nation and the top in South Carolina.
The Island Packet/Beaufort Gazette caught up with the Seahawks' newest talent to discuss her new career.
Question: What made you want to do something other than gymnastics?
Answer: I was a gymnast for 12 years. I started when I was five. I made it to Level 10. I always thought I'd do it in college, but I sprained my ankle two weeks before the state meet last year and bombed it. It pretty much put me out of the running to get a scholarship.
Q: So how did this pole vaulting career start?
A: This summer, I finally decided to quit gymnastics and go to pole vaulting. I got burnt out on gymnastics. I didn't love it anymore. ...I had a friend that was a gymnast that quit two years before I did. She took up pole vaulting and I thought it was so cool. I always wanted to try it. So I said, 'Why not?'
Q: It seems like it can be a pretty intimidating sport. Were you timid about trying it?
A: A little bit. But gymnastics pretty much got the whole fear issue out the way because I've been doing such crazy things in gymnastics. It really wasn't that much different.
Q: What was your initial learning process like?
A: Oh gosh, the sand drills into the sand pits and a lot of basic pole drops for hours. It was a real building process.
Q: At what point did you realize you might be pretty good?
A: My club coach said I could be good because of my background and my height and my long limbs. So I guess that and the fact that it was similar to gymnastics and how it translates over made it really easy.
Q: In what aspects does it translate?
A: A lot of the body awareness is the same. The power and impact is the same. It's all about knowing how to control your body.
Q: Take me through competing two weeks ago for the first time.
A: I didn't really know to expect. I went in first at 10 feet. Then I did 12-1 and that was pretty good for me. I was really happy about that for my first meet.
Q: Has it sunk in how high up that ranks in the county?
A: It's kinda seems a little surreal to me since this happened so quickly for me. I never saw myself doing this in a million years. Last year at this time, I was focused on doing gymnastics and I've just done a complete 360. I'm starting to wrap my head around it and it's pretty cool. I think I might surprise a few people since they haven't seen my name out there.
Q: Does this make you wish you had started this sooner?
A: In a way, it does. But I'm happy with my gymnastics career. I'm glad I did it, and I think it's helped me with track and field.
Q: You also did pretty well in the high jump at the meet in Wando, right?
A: Yeah, I just started messing around with that about two weeks ago. I thought it looked cool, so I wanted to try it and the coaches let me do it at the meet. I like it.
Q: Your gymnastics career forced you to travel a lot. Is it a little easier just practicing right outside your high school?
A: I like it a lot. My gymnastics background put me out of the loop with everyone because I trained in Savannah five days a week. Gymnastics was a lot of work. A lot of work. So I really never saw anyone that I knew. Doing school sports has kind of put me back in the loop. It's been a lot of fun.
Q: Have you thought about making a career out of this?
A: Oh yeah. It makes me want to continue throughout college and do well with it. I've had a few interests from colleges like Virginia Tech and UNC and South Carolina.
Q: What would you be doing this spring if you hadn't started this?
A: I don't know what I'd be doing. I really don't know. Probably be bored and just focusing on school.
Read more: http://www.islandpacket.com/2010/03/26/ ... z0jVCrBV0E
