David Hughes: SMWC's Bailey refuses to let COVID-19 detour her road to pole-vaulting success

Feb. 28—After Kansas City won the recent Super Bowl, NFL fans have been referring to the Chiefs as a dynasty.

"Dynasty" is a word that gets tossed around too freely sometimes, but I believe the Indiana State and Rose-Hulman track and field programs cemented their dynasty statuses over the weekend (counting Monday as part of the weekend in ISU's case).

For coach Angie Martin's Sycamores, their men and women swept the Missouri Valley Conference indoor team titles for the second time in the last three years, this year in Chicago. Think of how often any ISU athletic team wins an MVC championship and you should be impressed. Martin has continued the late John McNichols' string of success, maintaining the Sycamores' reputation as a track powerhouse.

On the east side of Vigo County, Rose-Hulman seized the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference indoor men's and women's team honors for the second time in the last three years Saturday inside its Sports & Recreation Center. To take this dynasty thing one step further, coach Larry Cole's male Engineers have seized the HCAC indoor title 26 times out of the last 27 years.

Talk about dominance!

As for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College? The Pomeroys have been members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) since only 2021, so now is a little early to be talking dynasty.

But SMWC senior pole-vaulter Krislynn Bailey is making a name for herself and The Woods by qualifying for this weekend's NAIA national championships at the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex in Brookings, S.D. Her event will begin at 4 p.m. EST Friday.

Bailey's road to vaulting success has been bumpy, for sure.

"I first started in high school as a freshman at Terre Haute North with [then-]coach Alex Bettag," she told me. "I started because I did not know what else to do and my friends thought I should try out pole vaulting. I only really had two years of high school vaulting due to injuries and my senior year being the COVID-19 year [2020 when panic ensued and the whole world practically stopped]. I was only clearing 8 feet, 6 inches when I graduated from high school."

While at North, Bailey started thinking about colleges and concluded that The Woods would be a good landing spot.

"I wanted to stay close to home," she explained, "but enjoyed the small environment SMWC had to offer, as well as its amazing education program."

Bailey also chose to continue her then-modest vaulting career, which she didn't get to showcase as a North senior. She credits current Woods volunteer assistant coach Buck Wright, a pole-vault specialist, with helping her improve over the last five years.

"Buck Wright has taught me majority of what I know to this day," she emphasized. "I met Buck my senior year of high school and he has been coaching me all through college. ... My first year of college, he took me from only clearing 8 feet, 6 inches to clearing 10 feet, 6 inches by the end of the season. He has given me all of his tools, time and attention to make me the pole vaulter I am today."

Remember that bumpy-road part I mentioned earlier? Well, a bump the size of a fallen car engine in the middle of an interstate affected her sophomore season of track and field at The Woods ... and it involved COVID again, but this time more directly.

"I did get COVID my sophomore year of college," she acknowledged. "It took me out bad and I had to go to pulmonary rehab. I had to miss a few meets at the beginning of the indoor season and once I was back, I had to check my oxygen levels between each jump. It eventually got a bit better, but I now have COVID-induced asthma, which was another obstacle I had to overcome."

As Bailey regained her health and grew more comfortable attempting higher heights, a goal to qualify for the NAIA championships developed inside her.

She did so by clearing 11-4 1/2 at the Rose-Hulman Friday Night Spikes Meet on Jan. 19.

"I am extremely proud of myself for achieving that goal," said the 22-year-old education major who would like to teach at a Terre Haute elementary school after graduation. "My goal for nationals is to get on my biggest pole so far [13 feet] and hopefully break my PR [personal record]."

Wright and SMWC interim head track and field coach Aaron Crawn also are proud of Bailey's accomplishments and her ability to react to adversity.

"She is an extremely hard worker and very coachable," Wright noted. "We start practicing around September [each year] and practice at least three days a week until indoor season starts through outdoor season."

"I know she has come a long way since starting at SMWC," added Crawn, who admittedly is not a pole-vault expert. "She is a testament to very hard and consistent work meeting natural talent.

"For nationals, my goal with her is to enjoy the overall experience. Since she is our first qualifier [ever], I believe it is important for her to have a very positive experience with all aspects of the trip. This can help motivate our other athletes in the future and hopefully attract future recruits."

And perhaps start building a dynasty.

Tribune-Star sports reporter David Hughes can be reached after 4 p.m. by phone at (812) 231-4224 (just text him on his cell instead); by email at david.hughes@tribstar.com; or by fax at (812) 231-4321.