Battista having a field day in track

February 10, 2004

Written by Mike Szostak of the Providence Journal

Three Rhode Island women are making noise in collegiate track this winter, all in the field events.

Noelle Battista of Warwick, a sophomore at Wheaton College, broke the Wheaton record in the pole vault Saturday when she cleared 12 feet, 6 inches at the Tufts Invitational III. She held the previous mark of 12-4, set earlier this season when she mashed Kerry Teamey's two-year-old record of 11-8 1/2.

Battista is one of four Division III pole vaulters to reach 12-6 this season. The others are Karolien Bastiaens of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.; Amanda Haines of Adrian College in Adrian, Mich., and Kim Marino of Richard Stockton College in Pomona, N.J. They are the only vaulters who have met the 12-2 automatic qualifying standard for the national championship meet March 12-13 at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The Division I best this season is 13-5 1/4.

"There is so much upside to her, so much potential," Wheaton coach Paul Souza said yesterday.

A year ago, that potential was in jeopardy. Battista was struggling with the transition from Toll Gate High to Wheaton and with lingering effects of a stress fracture in her hip that cost her early-season training.

"She lost her focus a little bit. At one point during the indoor season she was talking about transferring. We had a long talk about it. I don't think she had given it a chance," Souza said.

Battista considered her coach's words, re-committed herself, and during the outdoor season blossomed like a spring bulb. Working with Souza on strength and speed and Jeff Robbins on vaulting technique, she qualified for the NCAA Championships, helped Wheaton with a national title and just missed making All-America.

"Sitting on the bus, she told me she was glad she didn't transfer, she was going to come back and break the national record and win a national championship, and I believe her," Souza said. "She's just a phenomenal kid. Whenever she sets her mind to something, get out of the way."

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