Daisy Glasser article (FL)

[rainbowgirl28]

This is old, but a good article

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/s ... 1841.shtml

ALL-FIRST COAST TRACK: Glasser responds to accident by winning another pole vaulting title


By ZACHARY SPAIN, The Times-Union

At one point last summer, Daisy Glasser found herself precariously stalled in the air at the end of her pole, her feet kicking at the bar.


Seconds later, she was passed out in the pole vault pit in a barn in Jonesboro, Ark., her face covered in blood. Her pole had recoiled as she attempted to maneuver herself safely to the ground several feet below, leaving a gash in her lip that needed stitches, a broken nose, a fractured skull and a concussion.

Her will to compete, however, was unharmed.

Months later, the Episcopal junior won her second consecutive Class 2A pole vault title, set city records and came within millimeters of the state-meet record. Now, she's the All-First Coast girls track and field athlete of the year.

The only physical reminder of "when I broke my face," as Glasser casually calls the injury, is a small scar. The memories are more vivid.

Girls Athlete of the Year
Daisy Glasser
School: Episcopal.
Year: Junior.
Age: 16.
Event: Pole vault.
Resume: Two-time Class 2A champion ... one of only two in the state to clear 12-6 ... defeated Caroline Kennedy of Orlando Boone, who vaulted 12-9 to win 4A state title, at Golden South Classic earlier this month ... an accomplished singer, at 13, she sang the national anthem before a Jaguars game.
In the Times-Union
Pick up a copy of the June 22 for a complete list of the boys and girls All-First Coast track teams.
Subscribe to the Times-Union

"I've done some amateur boxing, and I had never seen anyone as beaten up as she was," said Daisy's father, Don.

"I didn't look human," she said. "I was making babies cry."

Glasser took two months off, which also allowed a nagging stress fracture in her plant foot to heal.

When she resumed vaulting, Don was careful with Daisy. Instead, he saw an athlete without fear.

"I haven't noticed any difference," Don Glasser said. "Which makes me question her sanity."

As a state champion her sophomore season, Glasser's personal best was 11 feet, 9 inches. In her second meet this past season, Glasser cleared 12-21/2. At the FSU Relays, Glasser reached 12-63/4. She vaulted 12-6 four more times, including once to win the state title by a foot. She just missed 12-10, which would been a state-meet record.

"I guess it's kind of the way I was raised," Glasser said. "Are you going to stop. Are you going to feel sorry for yourself? Or are you going to keep working hard?"

The injury, it seems, did nothing to faze her.

"Ultimately your career will be defined by how you overcome," said Ira Welborn, Daisy's coach with the High Flyers Pole Vault Club. "She didn't give up. It hadn't changed her at all. That defines her."

[Rhino]

Great article that I hadn't yet seen! I've been watching Daisy since she started vaulting, and she is a true champion!

[robillard]

man you have no idea how many memories this brings back for me. a girl on my team, sarah adams who was jumping 12' last year passed away a few months ago. we are 2a so she competed against daisy in the state meat. our coach would always say stuff like daisy could do that and stuff like that to motivate sarah. im sorry, it was a really great article but it brought me to verge of tears again as i remembered my teammate who literaly taught me how to vault.