Mt. Vernon’s Riley Nielsen finished first as she clears the bar for a school-record height during the pole vault at the Pendleton Heights Sectional on Tuesday, May 18, 2021.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
FORTVILLE — Even when she couldn’t run or jump, Riley Nielsen was finding ways to be a better pole vaulter.
She took the sport by storm as a Mt. Vernon High School sophomore in 2021.
A first-year vaulter, Nielsen was winning all the big events. She took home the top prize at the Hancock County Meet, Hoosier Heritage Conference Championships, Pendleton Heights Sectional and Ben Davis Regional.
Along the way, she broke a 12-year old school record by clearing 10-feet, 6-inches at the sectional. The win at the regional earned her a spot back at Ben Davis to compete at the IHSAA Girls Track and Field State Finals.
It all led to great expectations as a 2022 junior, but when Nielsen — in a January indoor meet at Taylor University— stepped back on an approach of an attempt to clear 11-feet, she ruptured her left Achilles tendon.
“After being a first-year sophomore vaulter and working all summer, it was hard to comprehend losing an entire junior season,” Nielsen said. “It was so unexpected. Once I accepted the fact I wasn’t going to have a junior season, I realized there were things I could do while I was out to be a better vaulter.”
Nielsen said her mother, Stacy, played a big role in helping her get through the difficulty of not being able to compete. Mom bought Riley books about mindset and keeping a positive attitude during an injury. There were also books about vaulting form and technique.
“She was always there giving me resources to be a better vaulter even when I wasn’t able to vault,” Riley said.
Nielsen took it further. She would watch videos of her vaults and take notes on needed improvements. She also helped coach two first-year Mt. Vernon vaulters.
It helped, but dealing with the injury still had its challenges.
“When it first happened I was shocked. I didn’t comprehend that my season was going to be over,” Nielsen said. “There was a period of time where I felt, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ I had been working so hard to get a new school record, to go to state, and have a medal around my neck. Why did this have to happen? I felt like I was on top and then I hit rock bottom.”
She was doing the physical healing, but the emotional ups and downs were part of healing, too.
“It was really hard, especially the first couple meets (at Mt. Vernon) when you have to watch people do what you want to do. I would sometimes come home and question whether I wanted to go to the meets,” Nielsen said. “I would be sad and mad that I wasn’t able to vault like other people. I would get frustrated they get to work harder and become better and I was just sitting here.”
“Then, I realized I was here helping two girls (Sophie Amengnigan and Alaina Moore) that had never vaulted before. They were so happy to be vaulting for Mt. Vernon, and so happy to clear 7-feet and then 7-6. It helped me to see someone else be so happy at the sport I love.”
Recently, Nielsen got clearance to return to competition. She took everything learned from mom, books, videos, coaching, physical therapy and training to her first event since her January injury, the Grand Haven (Mich.) Beach Vault last weekend.
“When I got cleared around two weeks ago, I knew the first thing I wanted to do was to pole vault,” she said.
She was back, and better than before.
Competing for her club team DC Athletics, Nielsen cleared 11-feet. It was a new personal record and it won the event for the high school 17-and-over category.
“I felt like I was on top of the world, especially getting first place in my first meet back,” Nielsen said. “It made me feel like everything I had gone through didn’t matter at that moment. At that time, I was on top. I’m still hungry for more, I want that state medal, and I am hopeful I can reach the point where I can become a Division-I pole vaulter. I am willing to do whatever it takes.”
Nielsen has a couple more events next month before setting her sights on her final high school season.
Along with doing well in her favorite sport, Nielsen said she wants to help others going through similar adversity, including lending a listening ear to anyone in need of someone to talk to.
“After my injury I have spoken up about mental health in athletes,” Nielsen added. “I want to let anyone know who is going through an injury that it does not define them. An injury does not define the athlete you are or the person you are. An injury is an unfortunate thing, and it’s so hard.
“Just because you are seen as a big, strong athlete, it does not mean you don’t have emotions. When I was going through my injury I struggled with opening up because it made me feel weak. I was supposed to be a strong athlete who pushed through things like an injury. Do not feel like being sad or mad or frustrated makes you weak. It makes you human. Open up and talk to someone about how you are feeling, about how you are handling things, and most importantly about how you are not going to let this injury define you.”
