Aug. 28, 2008
By Matt Kimsey, NAIA Marketing Intern, mkimsey@naia.org
Jenn Stuczynski picks things up quickly. She hadn’t even attempted pole-vault until her senior year at Roberts Wesleyan in 2004. A mere four revolutions around the sun later and she’s an Olympic silver medalist.
After breaking her own American record at the Olympic trails in July with a height of 4.92/16-1 3/4, Stuczynski arrived at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China with high expectations.
And why not?
Rick Suhr, Stuczynski’s coach, says of her training at his Riga facility, “She just wants to perfect things. Bottom line, she has incredible inner strength and drive.”
That pursuit of perfection came to fruition in Stuczynski’s first ever Olympic appearance.
Stuczynski entered the competition at a height of 4.55/14-7 1/4, passing on the first two heights. After clearing the bar easily she passed on her next height and then cleared 4.7/15-5. Her first attempt at 4.75/15-7 came up just short, but she easily cleared it on the second attempt. At 4.8/15-9 Stuczynski was guaranteed her silver medal after an easy clear, while Russians Svetlana Feofanova and Yulia Golubchikova missed on all three attempts.
The matchup between the two was highly anticipated coming into Beijing. And while Stuczynski fell short of her first gold medal in the Olympics, she will continue to bring high expectations in her preparation for another shot at the gold, and possibly another showdown with Isinbayeva, in London 2012.
When asked about her first Olympic experience, Stuczynski responded "To go to your first Olymipcs and get a medal, a silver medal nonetheless, it's great, I couldn't ask for anything more.''
That left Stuczynski and the current world record holder of Russia, Yelena Isinbayeva, in the running for the gold. Isinbayeva cleared an easy 4.85/15-11, and after Stuczynski missed all attempts at 4.9/16-3/4 Isinbayeva went on to break her own world record at 5.05/16 3/5, bringing home a second career gold medal.
Stuczynski has always brought determination, drive, and a fierce competitiveness. “I saw the work ethic of a perfectionist,” says Chris Williams, who recruited Stuczynski to play basketball at Roberts. “She wanted to be the best at whatever she did.”
At Roberts Wesleyan Stuczynski was a two sport All-American in track and field and basketball. She holds numerous records including the javelin, high jump, and 400m hurdles as well as being a part of the record holding 4x100m and 4x400m hurdle teams. She also graduated as the all-time leading scorer in basketball with 1,819 points.
Stuczynski was the first American women’s pole-vaulter to clear 16 feet, which she did at the Reebok Grand Prix in 2007 as well as winning seven victories in major meets including her second straight victory at the U.S. Outdoor Championships later that year.
Charley Canon, college historian and sports statistician says of Stuczynski, “[She] is arguably the best female athlete ever at RWC; maybe even the best athlete period.”
Stuczynski has still not returned to New York from Beijing and is in Europe competing at the moment, trying to attain perfection in a sport that, until four years ago, was completely foreign to her.
Perfection may not be that far off… the ground.
Photo gallery (Rochester Democrat & Chronicle)
Information complied from nbcolympics.com, the democrat&chronicle.com and buffalonews.com, as well as articles courtesy of Roberts Wesleyan College.
