Kenna Stimmel an All-American at first college national meet

Kenna Stimmel could've had a smoother start to her first track & field indoor national meet at Virginia Tech. First, the freshman's poles didn't make it on their plane — the Hokies had four pole bags, but only three went on the initial flight from Charlotte to Dallas. "It was definitely a little frustrating and stressful because my first nationals, my poles didn't make it," she said. They got the poles on the next flight west to relieve some stress. But then once the national meet was underway, Stimmel didn't clear her very first attempt. "That was the highest I've ever started at a competition," she said. "We started at 4.10 (meters), so it was definitely a little nerve wracking. I had confidence that I was gonna make the bar… I settled some of my nerves." Once Stimmel got through those two stress points, she did what she does. The Margaretta alumnus made it over cleanly on her next five jumps, the highest being 4.40 meters (14 feet, 5.25 inches). That placed Stimmel fourth in the nation at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships and earned her first-team All-America honors on March 10 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was the only freshman to qualify for indoor nationals. "It was a pretty good meet," she said. "The runway was very fast. I had to adjust to that a little bit. Definitely a fun meet. Very good competition. I'm happy with how I did." After winning three state championships at Margaretta — and likely denied a fourth by COVID-19 — the best girls pole vaulter in Ohio high school history headed to Virginia Tech in prime position to contribute right away. Even with all her accomplishments, Stimmel received fresh coaching almost immediately from legendary Hokies pole vault coach Bob Phillips. "I think Bob had more of an effect than I expected right away," Stimmel said. "He started changing things as soon as I got down here. Without that, I don't think I would've PRd in indoor." They focused a lot on Stimmel's bottom arm positioning when she plants the pole. Stimmel's tendency is to keep the arm bent. To move up to bigger poles, she needs to hold her arm straighter. The results showed pretty quickly. She was the top collegiate finisher at a meet in Louisville on Jan. 27, clearing 4.40 meters, before setting a lifetime personal best at 4.45 meters (14-7.25) at a Feb. 4 home meet. Stimmel has gotten a boost from her teammates, as well, two of whom joined her at indoor nationals. Pole vaulters go to Blacksburg to learn from Phillips, and they also have plenty to gain from each other. "It's definitely really fun to have people to practice with," Stimmel said. "Before, it was basically just me. It's definitely a little different having people at club versus at your school. We definitely push each other. If someone is having a bad day, we talk each other through it. There's never a negative effect here. Even if you have a bad day, you want your teammates to do well." On Feb. 23, Stimmel won the ACC Indoor Championship. She again made it over 4.40m and won in a tiebreaker over her teammate Julia Fixsen by having fewer misses. The ACC title sent Stimmel to the national meet on a high note, and after the lost poles showed up in Albuquerque and she gathered herself after an opening miss, she capped her first collegiate indoor season with a spot on the podium. Stimmel took three good attempts at 4.45m, her personal best and the winning height at the meet. "It definitely motivates me," she said. "I still do have goals. I want to jump 15 feet. I had that goal last year as well, so I still want that to happen. I know what the competition and everything is gonna be like." There's no spring break for Stimmel, who spent Virginia Tech's week off at the national meet. She gets a bit of a light week coming off of nationals, though, before the Hokies ramp up preparations to begin the outdoor season at Texas the last week of March. The gap provides time to hone in on mechanics. "Since we do have this time off, there'll be focus on changing technique," Stimmel said. "We have the time to do it." It's about two months from the start of Stimmel's freshman outdoor season until regionals, and then a bit longer than that until another potential trip to nationals. She's certainly ready to keep soaring higher. "For outdoors, we have a regional meet, so it's harder to make nationals," Stimmel said. "I know it's gonna be different, so that's gonna drive me. Just knowing that, yes, I jumped well at indoor nationals, but I know that I could've done better, so that's also driving me."