University of Delaware Athletics
Ashley Bailey Raises The Bar
3/29/2019 10:34:00 AM | Track & Field
Ashley Bailey does not look like most pole vaulters. The prototypical body type for the event is tall and slender with lean muscle. Bailey, a senior for Delaware women's track & field, stands at 5-foot-1.5-inches with a powerful, muscular frame.
The things that make Bailey different than most of her competition are also the same things that make her great at what she does. The Middletown, Delaware native is the all-time record holder at Delaware in the pole vault, with a mark of 4.02 meters (13'2.25").
"Very tall, very slender, muscular," assistant coach Zach Haupt said of the competition Bailey often faces. "She's the exact opposite of all of those things, but she's not intimidated by those people. We went to Florida Relays last year and she was surrounded by all these people that are my height; I'm 6'2". You have all these females that are 6'2" and just as strong as she is, and she's jumping higher than them."
Bailey started pole vaulting as a freshman in high school, but before that, she was a gymnast. She explains that different gymnastics events gave her skills that set her up for pole vault success.
"I feel like overall it really did help me get in good shape for pole vault," Bailey said. "It was pretty much the exact same thing as uneven bars. You had the power like the [gymnastics] vault, strength like the floor routine."
What she lacks in height, she more than makes up for in athleticism. While other vaulters utilize their length, Bailey uses power to clear the bar.
"She's a natural athlete," head coach Wendy McFarlane-Smith said. "She's a multi-eventer, even though she focuses on the pole vault. You put her in the long jump, the sprints, the hurdles, she can go in there and still dominate."
"My speed helps me get in deeper, and my power helps me jump higher," Bailey explained.
While the athleticism of Bailey, who is also fourth all-time at Delaware in the long jump with a mark of 5.70 meters (18'8.5"), is part of the equation, her mental fortitude is just as important for her success. Even marginal gains in the sport take hours of work and training. As Bailey puts it, "every inch is a struggle."
Succeeding in competition takes incredible drive and focus, and that's where Bailey shines. Across indoor and outdoor meets, the senior has won 24 pole vaulting events in her career, including the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association Championship. In fact, Bailey has made the podium in every CAA Championship in which she has competed (3rd as a freshman in 2016, 2nd as a sophomore in 2017, 1st as a junior in 2018).
"Wherever you put Ashley, she's going to put her best foot forward because she's very competitive in nature. She doesn't like to lose," McFarlane-Smith said. "She does what it takes: the work, dedication, excitement and enthusiasm it takes to get into her event and be comfortable feeling that she belongs here."
"Her advantage is that she's ready to compete at all times," Haupt said. "Her willingness not to back down, she doesn't shy away from anything."
Competing in her home state is huge for Bailey, who draws strength from her family. Her parents haven't missed a meet since her freshman year. She also describes herself as "the No. 1 aunt in the world," which motivates her to keep pushing.
"I do it for my nephews as a role model, so they can see that we can be more than what's expected," Bailey said.
Last season, Bailey qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round for the first time in her career. She cleared a height of 3.78 meters (12'4.75"), good for a 32nd-place finish. The top 48 marks in each of the two regions at the end of the season earn a spot in the Preliminary Round, making it a significant achievement just to qualify.
"She didn't back away from the competition," McFarlane-Smith said. "[She] went in there with her eyes open and her energy up to go in and do the best that she can do. I was very proud of her."
"It was an amazing experience, you get to see a lot of people, different states, make new friends, see how people get into jumping, their mindset, what motivates them," Bailey said. "Sometimes that can really motivate you to go farther and do more and figure out what your real reasoning is and why."
As of March 28, Bailey holds the 47th-best mark in the East region (3.75m at the 2019 Adidas Winthrop University Invitational), which would qualify her for the 2019 East Preliminary. To hold onto that spot, she'll likely have to push herself to break her personal record. Of course, that's exactly what she's done her entire UD career.
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The things that make Bailey different than most of her competition are also the same things that make her great at what she does. The Middletown, Delaware native is the all-time record holder at Delaware in the pole vault, with a mark of 4.02 meters (13'2.25").
"Very tall, very slender, muscular," assistant coach Zach Haupt said of the competition Bailey often faces. "She's the exact opposite of all of those things, but she's not intimidated by those people. We went to Florida Relays last year and she was surrounded by all these people that are my height; I'm 6'2". You have all these females that are 6'2" and just as strong as she is, and she's jumping higher than them."
Bailey started pole vaulting as a freshman in high school, but before that, she was a gymnast. She explains that different gymnastics events gave her skills that set her up for pole vault success."I feel like overall it really did help me get in good shape for pole vault," Bailey said. "It was pretty much the exact same thing as uneven bars. You had the power like the [gymnastics] vault, strength like the floor routine."
What she lacks in height, she more than makes up for in athleticism. While other vaulters utilize their length, Bailey uses power to clear the bar.
"She's a natural athlete," head coach Wendy McFarlane-Smith said. "She's a multi-eventer, even though she focuses on the pole vault. You put her in the long jump, the sprints, the hurdles, she can go in there and still dominate."
"My speed helps me get in deeper, and my power helps me jump higher," Bailey explained.
While the athleticism of Bailey, who is also fourth all-time at Delaware in the long jump with a mark of 5.70 meters (18'8.5"), is part of the equation, her mental fortitude is just as important for her success. Even marginal gains in the sport take hours of work and training. As Bailey puts it, "every inch is a struggle."
Succeeding in competition takes incredible drive and focus, and that's where Bailey shines. Across indoor and outdoor meets, the senior has won 24 pole vaulting events in her career, including the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association Championship. In fact, Bailey has made the podium in every CAA Championship in which she has competed (3rd as a freshman in 2016, 2nd as a sophomore in 2017, 1st as a junior in 2018).
"Wherever you put Ashley, she's going to put her best foot forward because she's very competitive in nature. She doesn't like to lose," McFarlane-Smith said. "She does what it takes: the work, dedication, excitement and enthusiasm it takes to get into her event and be comfortable feeling that she belongs here."
"Her advantage is that she's ready to compete at all times," Haupt said. "Her willingness not to back down, she doesn't shy away from anything."
Competing in her home state is huge for Bailey, who draws strength from her family. Her parents haven't missed a meet since her freshman year. She also describes herself as "the No. 1 aunt in the world," which motivates her to keep pushing."I do it for my nephews as a role model, so they can see that we can be more than what's expected," Bailey said.
Last season, Bailey qualified for the NCAA East Preliminary Round for the first time in her career. She cleared a height of 3.78 meters (12'4.75"), good for a 32nd-place finish. The top 48 marks in each of the two regions at the end of the season earn a spot in the Preliminary Round, making it a significant achievement just to qualify.
"She didn't back away from the competition," McFarlane-Smith said. "[She] went in there with her eyes open and her energy up to go in and do the best that she can do. I was very proud of her."
"It was an amazing experience, you get to see a lot of people, different states, make new friends, see how people get into jumping, their mindset, what motivates them," Bailey said. "Sometimes that can really motivate you to go farther and do more and figure out what your real reasoning is and why."
As of March 28, Bailey holds the 47th-best mark in the East region (3.75m at the 2019 Adidas Winthrop University Invitational), which would qualify her for the 2019 East Preliminary. To hold onto that spot, she'll likely have to push herself to break her personal record. Of course, that's exactly what she's done her entire UD career.
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Players Mentioned
Pole Vault
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