Clearing Bars / North junior pole vaulter is Republic Girls Track Athlete of Year

Columbus North junior Adrienne Salemme is The Republic Girls Track Athlete of the Year. She is pictured at Columbus North High School in Columbus, Ind., Monday, June 3, 2019. Mike Wolanin | The Republic

The 2019 girls track season was a huge bounce-back year for Adrienne Salemme. The Columbus North junior had a successful high school debut as a freshman when she cleared 10 feet, 4 inches in the pole vault and placed in the regional. But last year, she made only 9-10 and no-heighted in the regional. This spring, Salemme was in top form. She made 11-6 twice and qualified for the state finals, tying for 13th place and earning The Republic Girls Track Athlete of the Year honors. “I’m really excited about how this year went,” Salemme said. “Coming back after last year, I expected it to be a good season. I didn’t realize how good of a season it was actually going to be. It was definitely my best season yet.” Salemme made 11-6 at both the Franklin Sectional and Shelbyville Regional, narrowly missing 11-10 at the regional. But she injured her heel in practice two days before the state meet. She cleared 11-3 at state, but couldn’t get over 11-6. “I was really happy, especially (setting a personal record) in the tournament, then matching my PR again at regional,” Salemme said. “That was really exciting. I’m disappointed in my performance at state, but some of that is due to my injury. I put my best out there.” In the offseason, Salemme trailed with the Pole Vault Elite club out of Fortville and coach Collin Gayde. “Definitely my training over the summer after my sophomore year helped a lot, especially with the confidence and with my speed and my technique,” Salemme said. “Coming into this year with the confidence, that helped.” During the season, Salemme works with longtime North pole vault coach Dale Stelting. “I am absolutely proud of the hard work and dedication that Adrienne has put in this year,” Stelting said. “It’s not necessarily at the end of the season the way we wanted, the way we pictured it, but she has learned to vault tough, to take third attempts and make things work when it’s not working as well. (State) was frustrating for a variety of reasons, but I’m very much looking forward to seeing her progress next year.” A former club gymnast, Salemme gave up that sport after her freshman year. She has served as a manager for the Bull Dogs gymnastics team the past three years. Salemme is hoping to pole vault in college. She has heard from several schools, including Division I Dayton, and wants to major in exercise science or exercise physiology with the plan to become a physician’s assistant. “I’m extremely proud of how hard she works,” North head coach Lou Sipe said. “She works at pole vault and works extremely hard. Obviously, pole vault is a very technical event, and she’s embraced that and really taken to the work that goes into it. She’s very deserving, so I’m happy for her.”

The 2019 girls track season was a huge bounce-back year for Adrienne Salemme.

The Columbus North junior had a successful high school debut as a freshman when she cleared 10 feet, 4 inches in the pole vault and placed in the regional. But last year, she made only 9-10 and no-heighted in the regional.

This spring, Salemme was in top form. She made 11-6 twice and qualified for the state finals, tying for 13th place and earning The Republic Girls Track Athlete of the Year honors.

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“I’m really excited about how this year went,” Salemme said. “Coming back after last year, I expected it to be a good season. I didn’t realize how good of a season it was actually going to be. It was definitely my best season yet.”

Salemme made 11-6 at both the Franklin Sectional and Shelbyville Regional, narrowly missing 11-10 at the regional. But she injured her heel in practice two days before the state meet. She cleared 11-3 at state, but couldn’t get over 11-6.

“I was really happy, especially (setting a personal record) in the tournament, then matching my PR again at regional,” Salemme said. “That was really exciting. I’m disappointed in my performance at state, but some of that is due to my injury. I put my best out there.”

In the offseason, Salemme trailed with the Pole Vault Elite club out of Fortville and coach Collin Gayde.

“Definitely my training over the summer after my sophomore year helped a lot, especially with the confidence and with my speed and my technique,” Salemme said. “Coming into this year with the confidence, that helped.”

During the season, Salemme works with longtime North pole vault coach Dale Stelting.

“I am absolutely proud of the hard work and dedication that Adrienne has put in this year,” Stelting said. “It’s not necessarily at the end of the season the way we wanted, the way we pictured it, but she has learned to vault tough, to take third attempts and make things work when it’s not working as well. (State) was frustrating for a variety of reasons, but I’m very much looking forward to seeing her progress next year.”

A former club gymnast, Salemme gave up that sport after her freshman year. She has served as a manager for the Bull Dogs gymnastics team the past three years.

Salemme is hoping to pole vault in college. She has heard from several schools, including Division I Dayton, and wants to major in exercise science or exercise physiology with the plan to become a physician’s assistant.

“I’m extremely proud of how hard she works,” North head coach Lou Sipe said. “She works at pole vault and works extremely hard. Obviously, pole vault is a very technical event, and she’s embraced that and really taken to the work that goes into it. She’s very deserving, so I’m happy for her.”

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The Republic All-Area Girls Track and Field team:

Adrienne Salemme, Columbus North: The junior tied for 13th at state in the pole vault.

Olivia Morlok, Columbus North: The junior won a sectional title and finished 21st at state in the 3,200 meters and ran on the fifth-place 4×800 relay team at regional.

Mackenzie Barnett, Columbus North: The sophomore finished fourth in the 1,600 and ran on the fifth-place 4×800 relay team at regional.

Emily Herndon, Columbus North: The sophomore finished fifth in the regional in the shot put.

Kennedy Kerber, Columbus North: The junior ran on the fifth-place 4×800 relay team at regional and was a regional qualifier in the 1,600.’

Aric Tong, Columbus North: The sophomore ran on the fifth-place 4×800 relay team at regional.

Erin Rawlins, Columbus North: The sophomore finished sixth at regional in the 400 and ran on the regional-qualifying 4×400 relay team.

Kylah Lawson, Columbus North: The freshman was a regional qualifier in the long jump, 200, 4×100 relay and 4×400 relay.

Kayla Truesdell, Jennings County: The senior finished second in the state in the discus and 18th at state in the shot put.

Sam Sproles, Jennings County: The freshman finished 26th at state in the long jump and was a regional qualifier in the 400 and 4×400 relay.

Beyoncey Coleman-Turner, Columbus East: The senior won sectional and regional titles and finished 24th at state in the discus.

Elena Stoughton, Columbus East: The junior finished sixth in the regional in the high jump.

Honorable mention

Brown County: Anna Fleetwood, Izzy Rygiel, Natalie Suding. Columbus East: Yami Diaz, Kelly Fields, Koryn Greiwe, Liz Hagan, Olivia Linnemann, Maddy Ping, Gabi Schuetz, Olivia Shoaf, Sydney Wilson. Columbus North: Carley Finke, Sydney Geckler, Sami Heathcote, Helena Ho, Ella Meek, Shaelynn Scruggs, La’monica Smith, Grace Whaley. Hauser: Mel Hasler, Grace Isley, Marnie Schwartzkopf. Jennings County: Baylee Byford, Izzy Daugherty, Ashley Heindel, Patricia Henney, Heather Sea. South Decatur: Lana Bell.

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