Expectations high for pole vaulter

When sophomore pole vaulter Emily Tharpe cleared the bar for the first time in high school, she was hooked.\n"Once you go over the bar once you just want to go higher," she said.\nBefore coming to IU, the Erie, Pa., native had a long list of accomplishments to her credit. She was the indoor state pole vault champion from her sophomore to senior year and the outdoor state champion as a senior. She was also the 2000 Nike Indoor National pole vault champion. \nThough this is only her second year on the team, Tharpe has already made valuable contributions. During her freshman season, she finished third at the indoor Big Ten Championships and set the outdoor school record. \nCoach Marshall Goss said he is convinced that Tharpe's best performances are yet to come. \n"She is starting to be the vaulter she should be and can be," he said. "She's starting to correct faults that will make her very good down the road."\nTharpe's drive for self-improvement will help her during the outdoor season, Coach Randy Heisler said.\n"She wants to jump higher," he said.\nGoss said that during the indoor season, Tharpe's progress became more consistent and that she is "at the point of a big breakthrough."\nAfter finishing third at this year's indoor Big Ten Championships, Tharpe said the biggest asset she has gained is added confidence. This confidence will prove beneficial as the season progresses because both Goss and Heisler have high expectations for her.\n"She can be right in the thick of the (Big Ten) championship run," Goss said.\nHeisler also said he expects Tharpe to contend for a conference title as well as make an appearance at the national level at the NCAA Championships.\nTharpe won her first competition on Saturday against Central Michigan and Indiana State. Because of bad weather, Tharpe was unable to compete in the first two meets of the season. Poor conditions have also limited Tharpe's training. Despite these setbacks, Tharpe qualified for the NCAA Regional meet in addition to winning her event this past weekend. Tharpe said she is happy with the solid start but knows that much work lies ahead. \n"If I want to get to the NCAAs, I'm going to have to work hard," she said. "I'm the only one holding myself back so I can do it"