Stacy Dragila

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Stacy Dragila
Stacy dragila.jpg
Personal information
Born (1971-03-25) 25 March 1971 (age 50)
Auburn, California, U.S.
Height1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Weight62 kg (137 lb)
Sport
CountryUnited States United States
SportAthletics
Event(s)Pole vault
ClubNike, Beaverton
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
  • Pole vault: 4.83 (2004)
hide
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Pole vault
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1999 Seville Pole vault
Gold medal – first place 2001 Edmonton Pole vault
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place 1997 Paris Pole vault
Silver medal – second place 2004 Budapest Pole vault

Stacy Renée Dragila (née Mikaelson; born 25 March 1971) is an American former pole vaulter. A pioneer in the women's event, she is an Olympic gold medalist and a multiple world champion.

Early life[]

Stacy Dragila standing in front of her photographic statue while being inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame

Stacy was born and raised in the rural town of Auburn, California, northeast of Sacramento. When her older brother Eric got involved with rodeo, she followed him into the sport. She also participated in gymnastics, but had to give it up due to childhood asthma.

She attended Placer Union High School where she played volleyball and ran on the track team as a sprinter, hurdler, and jumper. Early on, she didn't feel she was living up to her potential, and got coaching from Yuba Community College's John Orognen. She managed to get to the finals of the 300 meters hurdles at the CIF California State Meet, but didn't place.[1] She placed second at the Golden West Invitational in the 400 meters hurdles.[1]

Pole vaulting[]

After graduating, Nielsen gave her a job as assistant coach, which she supplemented by working as a waitress. Her improvement continued, clearing 13 feet (4.0 m) in January 1996. By June she was up to 13 ft 9 in (4.19 m). The Olympic Trials held the women's pole vault as a demonstration event, which Stacy won by a foot (0.3 m);[2] it was not included in the program of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.[3]

Professional[]

Stacy Dragila accepting her induction into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame

She made the World Championships in 2009 her final major championship; she finished with a jump of 4.25 m (13 ft 11+1⁄2 in), not progressing to the pole vault final.[4] Dragila was one of the foremost athletes in the early years of women's pole vaulting, winning the gold medal at the first three major pole vaulting championships. Her best vault of 4.83 m (15 ft 10 in) set in 2004 was significantly higher than other female vaulters of her generation.[5]

While she jumped 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) at age 37, her 4.55 m (14 ft 11 in) at age 38 in 2009 is the ratified W35 Masters World Record.

In 2014, she was elected into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.[6] Dragila Way, on the campus of Idaho State University in Pocatello, is named in her honor.

International competitions[]

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
1997 World Indoor Championships Paris, France 1st Pole vault
1999 World Championships Seville, Spain 1st Pole vault
2000 Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 1st Pole vault
2001 World Championships Edmonton, Alberta 1st Pole vault
2001 Goodwill Games Brisbane, Australia 1st Pole vault
2003 World Athletics Final Fontvieille, Monaco 1st Pole vault
2004 World Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 2nd Pole vault

National titles[]

  • USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
    • Pole vault (9): 1996†, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
  • USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
    • Pole vault (8): 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004

† The 1996 contest was a non-championship event

Personal[]

She divorced Brent in 2006.[7]

Stacy Dragila lived in San Diego, California, and is the founder of Altius Track Club.

She now lives in Boise, Idaho, where she owns and coaches at a premier indoor/ outdoor pole vault facility, Dragila Vault Co. STACY Dragila Vault CO.

Dragila married American discus thrower Ian Waltz and welcomed daughter Allyx (an alternative spelling of the standard 'Alex') Josephine Waltz on June 21, 2010.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b http://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/1990/gwi_res.pdf
  2. ^ "Dragila vaults to second straight title". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 1, 1997. p. 2D.
  3. ^ https://www.usatf.org/statistics/champions/OlympicTrials/HistoryOfTheOlympicTrials.pdf
  4. ^ Landells, Steve (2009-08-15). Event Report - Women's Pole Vault - Qualification Archived 2009-09-26 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-16.
  5. ^ http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=54496.html
  6. ^ http://www.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Hall-of-Fame/2014-Hall-of-Fame-Bios/Stacy-Renee-Mikaelsen-Dragila.aspx
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-12-22. Retrieved 2014-12-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ http://trackfield.teamusa.org/news/2010/09/27/a-decade-later-stacy-dragila/38733

External links[]

Records
Preceded by
Emma George 		Women's pole vault world record holder
August 21, 1999 – July 13, 2003 		Succeeded by
Yelena Isinbayeva
Awards
Preceded by
Marion Jones 		Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
2001 		Succeeded by
Paula Radcliffe
Retrieved from ""