SC Interview: Aiken Hornet Beth Jordan

scrunners: How many years have you competed in pole vault?
Beth: I have competed in the pole vault for three years.

scrunners: What made you decide to try pole vault?
Beth: I had a really good childhood friend that pole vaulted named Travis Beck. He thought that with my background in gymnastics that I have the potential to be a pole vaulter..... so I tried it and absolutely loved it!

scrunners: Did you play any other sports before pole vault?
Beth: Yes, I was a varsity football cheerleader, and I took gymnastics.

scrunners: What kind of training is involved with preparing for competitions?
Beth: Training before competitions involves making sure my step/run is on, that my technique is on, and that I'm doing my "normal" jump.

Beth Jordan Event PR Pole Vault- 11'9'' GPA- 3.9 Mascot-Hornet College-Clemson Birthdate- 9/15/85 Academic Interest- Math and Science Hobbies-I love to listen to music. Interesting fact-I collect bags from all over the country and world with the names of the places I've been on them.

scrunners: What is the most nervous moment for you in track & field?
Beth: I am the most nervous during a meet when I'm about to take the first jump of the entire meet. This is because it means from that moment on I need to be as perfect as I possibly can be. Someone once told me that you cannot lose if you are perfect on each jump and that's what I always think about.

scrunners: What is the biggest meet you have competed in?
Beth: My biggest meet was probably Junior Olympic Nationals in either Sacramento, CA or Omaha, NE.

scrunners: Have you ever been to any indoor meets, if so, which ones, and do you like indoor better than outdoor?
Beth: I have jumped in indoor meets before, both were held at USC. I would have to say I like outdoors better.

scrunners: Do you have other relatives that competed in track & field, what events and where?
Beth: I haven't had any relatives in track and field.

scrunners: Before committing to Clemson University, what other visits did you make and what made you choose Clemson over the other schools?
Beth: Before I committed to Clemson I was going to be a Dawg at UGA. I took other visits to UNC, Chapel Hill and UGA. I chose Clemson over the others schools because of the great family atmosphere within their track and field team, and they also have one of the best Engineering departments and since that's my major I thought my education would benefit a lot from this.

scrunners: What have you thought about studying in college and what would you like to do with it?
Beth: I'm going to study Engineering. I am a math and science type of a person in school, but I also enjoy projects and designing different things.

scrunners: Who has been your biggest competitive rival throughout your high school career?
Beth: It's a tough decision to say.....because you never know what can happen during a meet.

scrunners: When talking about a team, what school has been the biggest rival for Aiken?
Beth: South Aiken High School is definitely our biggest rival because it's the cross town school.

scrunners: What athlete to you admire the most and why?
Beth: Teammate wise, I admire Michele Milner because of all the leadership and hardwork she shows and adds to our team. I really admire Jeff Hartwig, the American Record Holder, because in the several times I have spent time with him he was a really great motivator and person to talk to.

"Teammate wise I admire Michele Milner because of all the leadership and hardwork she shows and adds to our team. I really admire Jeff Hartwig, the American Record Holder, because in the several times I have spent time with him he was a really great motivator and person to talk to." --Beth Jordan

scrunners: How did you hear about the Carolina Vault Clinic, that is organized by Rusty Shealy?
Beth: I heard about it through my friend Travis Beck. I went up with him one Sunday afternoon and I enjoyed it.

scrunners: When did you start practicing with the Carolina Vault Clinic and what kind of improvements have you seen?
Beth: I started back in the middle of my first pole vault season during the 10th grade. I have seen improvements with my technique and a high increase in my personal record.

scrunners: What kind of shoes do you use to train and compete in? Have you tried several pairs out and what have worked the best?
Beth: When I train I use Nike Zoom Swift spikes. I have tried other pairs and I like these the best because I feel like I'm running the fastest and they are extremely light on the feet.

scrunners: What kind of poles do you use?
Beth: The type of poles that I use are either Skypoles or Mystic Poles

scrunners: What has been the biggest factor for you with weather conditions? What works best for you or do you practice in all conditions in order to be ready for any circumstances?
Beth: I try to practice in all kinds of conditions because you never know how the weather is going to be for a meet. If I had to pick the forecast before a meet, I would want a medium tail wind with a high around 75.

scrunners: Last season you captured wins in the Coaches Classic, The Golden South Classic on May 25 and prior to May 25 the AAAA State Championship in vault. How did you feel about your season last year and how do you feel this year after finishing first at Coaches Classic, first at Outback, and second at Taco Bell?
Beth: I am happy with my season. I just wish that my vaults would have been higher.

scrunners: Track & Field is an individual, but also team orientated sport, how close is your team?
Beth: My team is very close. We all support each other in all of our events and all of us are friends. Even though it is an individual sport we know that all of our points together help our TEAM to win.

scrunners: Everyone has a challenging time in the sport, what has been the most challenging time for you with track & field?
Beth: The most challenging thing has to be the pressure of the sport in general. My most challenging meet would probably be the state meet because its the biggest meet in my high school career.

scrunners: There is an increase in South Carolina Track & Field, with improved performances, and the more participants, what do you see happening in South Carolina in the upcoming years?
Beth: In the upcoming years, I can see great success and many national records being broken by many South Carolina athletes.

scrunners: Have you ever thought about coming back to Aiken upon graduating from college and continue showing the purpose of track & field as a coach?
Beth: I have thought about helping out after college with a local team as a coach, not necessarily Aiken because I don't know where my future will be taking me.

scrunners: An athlete/coach relationship should never be forgotten, what do you look for in a coach and what do you as an athlete, expect to do to make the relationship work?
Beth: In a coach, I look for someone that will always be there for me whether I'm a winner or a loser. I like a coach that isn't afraid to push me to my limits and work me hard to get great results. The best quality in a coach is the trust factor and can they also be a person you can turn to outside of your sport.