Allison Stokke said she felt good enough physically last year to vault herself to the top again.
The right broken tibia suffered as a sophomore, ending her year before the CIF postseason, healed in time for her junior year. Everything appeared promising, for those other than the pole vaulter.
Stokke entered the year with her confidence shattered.
The idea of taking second place in any meet troubled Stokke. That's what claiming a CIF State championship your freshman year can cause.
"She wants to be the best. It's that simple," said Eric Tweit, the Newport Harbor girls' track and field coach. "That's the part of what drives her. She knows she can do better.
"She puts a lot of pressure on herself, but she normally responds."
But first place is all Stokke cares about.
After falling short of that goal last year with a second-place showing at state, Stokke's back at it in her senior season.
The UC Berkeley-bound student-athlete is still finishing second at prestigious track and field events, and to the same competitor, Tori Anthony of Castilleja in Palo Alto.
But to Stokke, this year is different than the previous, when her 12-foot, 9-inch performance was a half foot below Anthony's 13-3 mark.
Stokke has regained the faith in herself.
"I know I could get up there, too," she said.
The positive outlook is apparent to Tweit. He said Stokke's phobia of getting hurt again is gone. He doesn't see it in her gait anymore, as she now smoothly launches herself above the bar.
The elevation isn't there just yet from her first two years, when Stokke cleared a personal-best 13-5 3/4 at the Surf City Invitational as a sophomore.
Stokke's highest mark this year is 13-1 1/2 , set at the Mt. SAC Relays Saturday. That same day her rival, Anthony, who's headed to UCLA, set the state's outdoor record with a 13-10 effort.
Unlike last year, Stokke's not beating herself up for coming up short against Anthony.
"[She's] not the only thing that motivates me," said Stokke, who also finished behind Anthony at the Arcadia Invitational with a 12-7, a foot below Anthony's mark. "I think it's all good practice … before state. We'll be competing for the next four years [after this season].
"It's friendly, with a little competitive edge."
Making the rivalry more interesting is that Stokke said her future pole vaulting coach, Scott Slover, coaches Anthony in high school.
