Trackshark focus: Holliday sets the sky on fire

Holliday looks for another record at NCAA's (Becca Gillespy / PoleVaultPower.com)

Nerves of steel. That’s what sums up the character of Oregon’s Becky Holliday. The 5-foot-3 Oregon senior set a new collegiate record in the pole vault at the West Regional Championships at Stanford's Cobb Track and Angell Field.

The second-year Duck rewrote the collegiate record by 1/4 inches with her third-attempt clearance of 14-8. Now that she is ranked sixth all-time among Americans, the former gymnast looks for even bigger heights at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Holliday transferred to Oregon during the start of the 2002 winter term and made immediate impact on the collegiate and national scene. The former Nevada state high school champion competed for Clackamas Community College during the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

The backbone of success for many vaulters comes from years of gymnastics – or at least that’s the key. Holliday is no exception as she was a four-time state champion in the all-around category in 12-16 age groups.

During her record-setting performance, the length of the competition eventually got to Holliday and the rest of the competitors. With an opportunity to go even higher, she declined due to fatigue from the event that lasted more than five hours.

Everyone can expect the sky to be tested to the limits in Sacramento as it should be one of the more exciting events of the weekend. You can be sure when the opportunity presents itself, Holliday will so all she can to capitalize on the situation.

The two-time All-American is in a class by herself. Holliday proved to everyone that her vault of 14-6 at the PAC 10 Championships last month in USC wasn't a fluke.

For her efforts, Holliday was named the Trackshark Athlete of the Week for May 31 and was honored by the U.S. Track Coaches Association as the 2003 West Regional Women's Track and field Athlete of the Year.

The accolades just keep on building up for the favorite in Sacramento and there doesn’t seem to be an obstacle in her way.
Holliday and the Ducks next head to the NCAA Championships beginning June 11 in Sacramento. The meet spans four days at Hornet Field on the campus of Sacramento State University.