@MiamiTrack Adds Pole Vaulter Alysha Newman
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami track and field program added one of the top pole vaulters in the world just before the start of the 2014 season.
Alysha Newman joins the Hurricanes after a stellar freshman season at Eastern Michigan. Newman, who was the 2013 MAC Indoor and Outdoor champion in women’s pole vault, will compete in the pole vault and hurdles at Miami.
“We are very excited to have Alysha here,” said Amy Deem, Miami’s director of track & field/cross country. “We are looking forward to a very good season and adding her to our roster makes us an even more competitive team. She brings a great work ethic and is extremely competitive. We have had a lot of success in the men’s pole vault and we look forward to continuing that success on the women’s side.”
Miami jumps coach Jerel Langley is very familiar with Newman, having coached her last year at Eastern Michigan. Langley believes Newman has the talent, as well as the attitude, to be an outstanding performer for the Canes.
“Her motivation, her competitive attitude and her desire to be great at what she does sets her apart form a lot of athletes,” Langley said. “There are a lot of talented kids out there who don’t have the ability to push themselves to reach their highest level. She has that competitive edge and that desire to be the best at what she does. She has that overall mentality that you look at in a star student-athlete.”
The sophomore will begin her Hurricane career Jan. 18 when Miami kick off its 2014 indoor season at the Nittany Lion Challenge in State College, Pa., but Newman is already excited about being a Cane.
“I’m overjoyed to have been given the privilege to be a student-athlete at the University of Miami,” Newman said. “The University of Miami has given me the opportunity to train with some of the best coaches and study at one of the top academic schools in the United States. My first week has been amazing and I’m looking forward to training and getting to know my teammates. I am so honored to be a Cane!”
A second-team Indoor All-American in 2013, Newman was the third-ranked junior in the world last year. She was the Pan-American Junior champion and set a meet record, clearing a personal-best 4.40m (14’ 5.25”). The mark ranks 11th all-time at the junior level. Langley, who coached Newman at Eastern Michigan, has seen the talented pole vaulter develop tremendously since high school.
“Last year, I honestly thought jumping 14 feet would be having a really good year and then she jumped 14’ 5” in the summer,” Langley said. “It took everybody by surprise except for her. She knew it was coming.”
A native of Delaware, Ontario, Newman set Canadian Junior records in both indoor (4.23m) and outdoor (4.40m) pole vault. She also placed third at the Canadian Senior National Championships, clearing 4.00m. Newman hopes to represent Canada at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“With her work ethic, I don’t think there is anything out of reach,” Langley said. “I know she has Olympic aspirations and I definitely thinks he has the attitude and skill set to get there. We just need to work on being more consistent in the vault. Once she becomes a more consistent 14-footer, then the 15-foot barrier might be a reality and she could reach her goals of getting to Rio.”
Newman has long been a distinguished vaulter, representingCanada at the World Juniors in Barcelona, Spain while still in high school. She placed first in the Canadian Juniors and became the first Canadian female high school student to jump over four meters with a 4.06-meter leap, breaking a Canadian interscholastic record in the pole vault.
“I think it adds another top quality athlete that we are looking for here at Miami,” Langley said. “We are looking for the best student-athletes that we can get. We want student-athletes like her who are going to be national qualifiers, potential All-Americans and potential national champions in their event.”
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