Just call her…STATE CHAMP, Happy Valley’s Natalie Newsome captures girls’ pole vault gold
Published 3:41 pm Sunday, May 26, 2019
MURFREESBORO— Happy Valley’s Natalie Newsome knew coming into the 2019 TSSAA Spring Fling Small School Girls’ Pole Vault Championship that the title was hers to lose.
That, however, didn’t take away the nerves from the senior Lady Warrior who finished second in the event last season by the narrowest of margin in a jump off.
After waiting until the 7’0 mark was achieved on the bar, Newsome had little trouble working past the 7’0 mark and when her closest competitor failed her three tries at 7’6 and Newsome easily soared over the same height, she knew she had the championship, but wasn’t finished there.
Newsome went on to clear 8’0, 8’6, 9’0, and 9’6 before coming every so close to clearing 10’0 to easily outdistance her competition by a full 2’0.
“I worked so hard to make sure to make this happen,” said Newsome after the completion of the event. “I came in a little worried and everybody was like you are going to win, you are going to win but I was like I hope so but I am not sure because I wanted to be humble about it.
“I was a little nervous at 7’0 and 7’6 but once I got in there, I got more comfortable after that. I don’t know if was on my 8’0 or 8’6 and I started to panic a little bit because I wondered if I could have made that if she was still in the competition.
“It’s not sunk in that I am the only state winner in field events—I hadn’t even thought about it until you mentioned it,” continued Newsome. “That’s awesome, I am so proud of myself. It feels great to set records and make history—it’s a great feeling.”
Estep has been coaching track at Happy Valley for quite a while and for the coach it was a long wait for a field event winner at the state level but very rewarding.
“As good as I thought it would feel, it feels even better,” stated an emotional Estep after Newsome’s win. “She has worked her butt off for this. She worked all last summer and has been practicing two times a day in the past few weeks.
“I can’t think of anybody that deserves it more than her. She has the school record in the pole vault and is the first female state track winner in school history and the first field winner in either boys or girls in school history. I can’t say enough about her.
“Today she was struggling a little bit early on some of the heights because of the heat but she got in a rhythm there and cleared some of the heights she normally clears,” continued Estep. “She means the world to me and I couldn’t be prouder of her.
“We were shooting for 10’ to break her school record but I told her she had won the state championship and that’s all that really mattered.”
Newsome will care on her work as part of the Milligan Buffaloes Track and Field team next school year.
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Finals—2019 TSSAA Spring Fling S
mall School Girls’ Pole Vault
Name GR. School Height
1 Newsome, Natalie 12 Happy Valley 9-06.00
2 Furr, Reilly 10 Signal Mountain 7-06.00
3 Harrison, Charlotte 9 Signal Mountain 7-00.00
4 Saniscola, Bella 12 Grace Christ 7-00.00
5 Ricker, Christiana 10 West Greene 7-00.00
6 Gibby, Sophia 10 Signal Mountain 7-00.00
7 Stokely, Chelsea 11 West Greene 7-00.00
8 Dycus, Molly 12 Unv.S-J.City 6-06.00
9 Robertson, Heather 10 Unv.S-J.City 6-06.00
10 Pender, Amy 11 Gatlinburg-Pittman 6-06.00
11 Hawkins, Ke’Aisha 11 Raleigh-Egypt 6-00.00
12 Fish, Leah 9 Grace Christ 6-00.00
13 Hawkins, Keziaha 11 Raleigh-Egypt 5-06.00
14 White, Abby 11 Grace Christ 5-06.00
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Missing the Top 8 by an inch
During the morning session, Happy Valley’s Shalyn Whitson threw off against 15 other competitors for a chance to earn All-State honors and a possible state title.
In an unfortunate turn of events where Whitson and Happy Valley’s head coach Matt Estep discovered that Whitson’s shot had been left at CAK during the sectional event just before coming to Murfreesboro.
Whitson was forced to used a borrowed shot which served to provide just enough uneasiness during her throws, it cost her the opportunity to advance by the slimiest of margins—one inch.
“I could tell that the way she was fidgeting with the put in her hands that she definitely wasn’t comfortable,” said Estep. “It probably was enough to affect her mentally to hamper her tosses.”
The good news for Whitson is that she is a junior and has another shot at redemption next season.
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Finals—2019 TSSAA Spring Fling Small Schools Girls’ Shot Put
Name GR. School Distance
1 Wilson, Jataya 12 Alcoa 40-01.25
2 Wynn, Alexis 12 Adamsville 38-10.50
3 Hollin, Madison 12 Adamsville 36-01.50
4 Hopson, Ashley 11 Memphis Business 32-08.75
5 Bagent, Darcie 11 Gatlinburg-Pittman 31-06.75
6 Tipton, Carly 12 A.C.York 31-05.50
7 Kenton, Destiny 9 Union City 31-04.50
8 Farr, Ebony 11 Stem Prepara 30-05.75
9 Houston, Whitney 9 City Univ. S 29-10.00
10 Whitson, Shalyn 11 Happy Valley 29-09.00
11 Mcanally, Corrie Beth 12 Cascade 28-10.75
12 Wallace, Jaliyah 9 Mitchell 28-09.50
13 Weaver, Ka 10 Memphis Business 28-02.25
14 Brison, Grace 10 L & N STEM Acad. 27-03.50
15 Fripp, Ruthie 11 Watertown 26-05.50
16 Ware, Elainie 10 Memphis Business 24-09.50