State Champion Spotlight: Sofia Wittmann (Bangor)
What were your preparations leading up to the state meet?
The weeks leading up to states I stayed on top of my conditioning and made sure my vault time in the fieldhouse was productive. The drive down to USM from Bangor is really difficult, because its a lot of time to get back in my head and overthink, but friends helped me make a playlist called "STATES HYPE" that kept me focused and pumped up for a good meet. I tried to stay loose and ready to compete that morning, and it definitely paid off.
What was one thing that you focused on this winter that made a difference in your performance?
I originally came into the season motivating myself by looking at the past success of other athletes, but as the season started, I focused more on my individual improvements and it really made a difference in my performance. My dad and I set a goal for the entire year of "maintaining form." That focus, on the track, in practice, and in the gym, kept me on my A-game through the season.
You set a new personal best of 10-0 to win the pole vault state title, two weeks prior your best mark was 9-0, how were you able to improve so much over the last two weeks?
Throughout the season, I spent a lot of time with my coach watching videos of my vaults to analyze technique, and focused on three and four step drills to work on small pieces of my vault at a time. By the time championships came around: PVCs and States, we were able to bring all of those small corrections together into full-approach vaults.
Coming into the season what were your goals and did you achieve them?
My biggest goal coming into Indoor was to reach 10', so clearing 10' at States was an amazing feeling. My goals changed throughout the season as I made adjustments in my vaulting technique, and I'm still working on adjusting my plant to ensure stronger vaults. Overall, I think I definitely reached several of my biggest goals, but have more to push me through outdoor and into the off season.
What have your coaches meant to your success?
he combination of having Coach Dana Seekins for pole vault and Coach Alan Mosca as head coach has improved not just my track season, but also motivated me through all of the other obstacles that have come up this past winter. Coach Mosca has pushed me to be my best self, both on and off the track, and I couldn't be more thankful for his support. Coach Seekins is one of the most important people in my life, and I'm beyond grateful to have him pushing me to achieve, keeping me calm in high-stress situations, and being a supportive role model in all aspects of my life.
How do you think winning an individual state title will effect you heading into outdoors?
I'm hoping to continue to improve heading into outdoors, working on small parts of my technique to push myself to higher heights. Getting over the 3 meter mark has been a long term goal, so pushing myself towards 3.5 meters through outdoor, as well as into my senior year, is the next plan. n
Wittman's Pole Vault Progression
| INDOOR | Graph |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 10-0 |
| 2017 | 8-6 |
