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.

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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.

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

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.

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