Bell grad copes with rain for title Mental toughness helped Jane McNeill of Abilene Christian win the NCAA Division II women's pole vault under difficult conditions June 7, 2001
FORT WORTH -- Not even a little moisture could keep Bedford native Jane McNeill from making history. On May 25, a rainy, dreary day in Edwardsville, Ill., the Abilene Christian University athlete became the first woman in NCAA Division II history to capture a national title in both outdoor and indoor pole vault competitions. McNeill cleared 12 feet, 5 1/2 inches in the rain to claim the 2001 outdoor championship. "She showed some real mental toughness," said former Abilene Christian track and field coach Don Hood. "She didn't let the rain bother her, and the other girls did." What makes the accomplishment all the more remarkable for the 1998 L.D. Bell graduate - who never had picked up a pole until she went to college - is that she won the indoor title more than two years ago. In between, McNeill battled a back injury that could have throttled her vaulting career. After failing to defend her title at the 2000 indoor championships, McNeill decided to stop fighting the pain that sometimes rendered her unable to walk. She missed the 2000 outdoor season and spent eight months rehabilitating. "Coming back from an injury, I did have to work a lot harder this year," McNeill said. "It's in the memory, a lot of it. If you just remember the technique, you can train your body to get in shape for vaulting." The addition of pole vaulter Meredith Garner to the Wildcats' squad helped invigorate McNeill's comeback. Garner, a Richardson Lake Highlands graduate, transferred to Abilene Christian from Harding University in Searcy, Ark. While sidelined, McNeill cheered for her teammate as Garner topped 13 feet and won the 2000 outdoor title. The two have developed a friendly rivalry. They coach one another, McNeill said. McNeill and Garner regularly cleared 13 feet in practice last month before the NCAA meet. But the wet conditions in Edwardsville hampered the vaulters' ability to grip their poles, and the final heights were somewhat disappointing to McNeill - championship and all. "In West Texas, it never really rains that much at all," said McNeill, 21. "We weren't really prepared for it. Now we are. Now we know how to react." When she left Bell, McNeill said she never dreamed she would be a national-caliber pole vaulter. She went to Abilene Christian and walked on to the track team. The elementary education major is now on a full track scholarship. A sprinter and long jumper at Bell, McNeill credits Hood for her success with the sticks. Now retired, Hood coached 10 Division II national title teams and has coached Olympic-caliber pole vaulters. "She has some good natural ability. She's just a natural athlete," Hood said. "She's got good speed and strength and good size. She's got a background in gymnastics, which has helped her. "Thirdly, she has a competitive nature which helps in pole vault. You have to really want it badly. She has an intense desire, which is probably more important in pole vault." Next season, McNeill plans to compete in the high jump, another event she barely touched in high school. Her goal is to qualify for the NCAA championships.
Laura Weisskopf, (817) 685-3810 lweisskopf@star-telegram.com MEN'S: Baseball | Basketball
| Cross Country | Football
| Golf | Tennis
| Track and Field ACU Sports Home | Lone Star Conference | NCAA Last update: June 7, 2001 |