Already the U.S. pole vault record-holder entering the 2008 Olympic Trials, Jenn Stuczynski provided some of the Trials’ highlight moments while qualifying for her first Olympic Games, where she went on to earn a silver medal.
Hoop dreams:
A multi-sport athlete at New York’s Fredonia High School, Stuczynski won the state pentathlon championship, but entered college as a basketball player. In 2003-04 she averaged 24.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while leading Roberts Wesleyan to the NAIA championship game. She graduated as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,819 points.
Quick study:
Stuczynski began pole vaulting in 2004. In 2005 she not only won the NAIA Indoor Championships, but surprisingly won the U.S. Indoors as well, with a vault of 4.35 meters. The all-around athlete also set school records in the javelin, high jump and 400-meter hurdles and was a part of school record-setting 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relay teams.
Tribulations at the Trials:
Stuczynski came within one jump of failing to qualify for the 2008 Olympics. She began jumping at 4.60 meters and missed her first two attempts. A third miss would’ve knocked her out of the competition, but she cleared easily. Having regained her form, she first exceeded Stacy Dragila’s former Olympic Trials record of 4.75 meters, then Stuczynski broke her own U.S. record by clearing 4.92 meters on her third attempt.
Career highlights:
Stuczynski entered the 2008 Olympic Trials as a two-time U.S. Outdoor champion and three-time U.S. Indoor champ. She placed second in the 2008 World Indoors. She finished 2007 ranked eighth in the world.
The stats:
- Height: 6-0
- Weight: 141
- Age: 25
- Birth date: February 6, 1983
- Hometown: Fredonia, New York
- World Championships: None
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