Fearless Hall shakes off injuries to excel at demanding pole vault event
NEW WILMINGTON — Hailey Hall peered down at her bloodied hand and cringed.
The sight of her fiberglass pole laying in pieces next to the pole vault pit turned her stomach.
“It could have been a lot worse,” said Hall of her accident during a meet at Slippery Rock University last season. “There are a lot of things than can go wrong when you do the pole vault.
“Immediately I knew it was going to be bad news,” Hall added, chuckling. “I was holding the pole real low and I was thinking I'm either going to get shot straight up into outer space or I'm going to get shot backward.”
Hall, though, dodged serious injury, needing just five stitches, and was back competing in a short time with special padding to protect the cut in the webbing between her index finger and thumb.
The Grove City High graduate and junior on the Westminster College women's track and field team has used that determination to her advantage throughout her career.
And this season in particular.
Hall as two of her teammates recently set a record at the Geneva College track in the pole vault at 12 feet, 4½ inches.
She has her sights set on clearing 13 feet before the spring is out.
“I want to make the national meet and be an All-American,” Hall said. “If I get 13 there, that would probably put me in the top three.”
Hall isn't taking anything for granted, however, especially in an event as demanding as the pole vault.
“It is a super mental sport,” Hall said. “If you have a fear of leaving the ground, it's probably not for you. My teammates have given me so much support, so that makes it easier.”
During her senior season at Grove City High School, Hall cleared 11-1 to set a school record and had the top vault in the Butler County area.
She advanced to the PIAA Track and Field Championships, but did not place.
Not bad, especially considering she nearly gave up track to focus on basketball.
“I was going to quit and play AAU, but a few teachers talked me out of it,” Hall said. “Good thing.”
When she got to Westminster College, she quickly realized she hadn't yet begun to work at the event.
“When I came to college, I had never even been in a weight room,” Hall said. “I remember the first day walking into the weight room and seeing three All-American pole vaulters in the room doing pull-ups, cranking out 25 in a row and thinking, 'Oh my gosh. What have I gotten myself into?'”
But Hall dedicated herself to the process. She also altered her diet and put on muscle.
Now she hopes to be one of those All-American's, pumping out 25 pull-ups.
“She's a very driven person,” said Westminster College pole vault coach Bradi Rhoades. “She wants to be successful in everything she does.”
