Lacy Janson
Encyclopedia
Lacy Janson is an American
track and field
athlete who specializes in the pole vault
. She was the 2010 USA indoor champion
in the event and represented her country at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
. At college level, she won both an outdoor and an indoor NCAA title for Florida State University
.
, she attended Cardinal Mooney High School
in Sarasota, Florida
. She was the 2001 United States high school champion in the pole vault and went on to win the gold medal
at the Pan American Junior Championships in Athletics that year. She was the 2002 USA Junior Champion in the pole vault and reached the final of the 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
, although she failed to record a height in the last round.
She joined Florida State University
in 2002 and, representing the FSU Seminoles, she won NCAA All-America
n honours indoors and out that year. She also broke the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) pole vault records at the indoor and outdoor championships. Janson repeated the ACC double in 2003 and took her first major college title at the NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship
. She gained two further NCAA All-American honours in 2004 and 2005. In her final year at FSU she was the runner-up at the NCAA Indoor meet and became the 2006 ACC Outdoor champion with a personal record vault of 4.58 meters. She won the NCAA Outdoor title later that season, defeating Chelsea Johnson
on countback.
Upon graduation, she began to compete as a professional and in her first year she was the runner-up at the 2007 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
and won the bronze medal
at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
. She improved her best that year to 4.60 m, which ranked her as the second best American in the discipline that year after Jenn Stuczynski. Janson had less success the following year, finishing just outside the medal at the indoor nationals and placing tenth at the 2008 Olympic Trials
.
Her progress stalled in the 2009 season – she was eighth at the USA Outdoors and her best that year came at the Sparkassen Cup
in February, where she cleared 4.50 m. In spite of this, the following year proved to be a big step forward in her career. She took her first national title in 2010, winning at the USA Indoor Championships. She also cleared a new career best height of 4.66 m in February that year at the Tyson Invitational – a mark which ranked her in the top ten women vaulters that year. This led to her making her global debut at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
. Her first appearance was disappointing, however, as she took three attempts at 4.35 m but missed all three and finished in last place. She competed on the 2010 IAAF Diamond League
circuit and her best outdoor performance that year came at the Herculis
meeting, where she finished third.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who specializes in the pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
. She was the 2010 USA indoor champion
USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Indoor Track and Field Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
in the event and represented her country at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics was held between 12 and 14 March at the ASPIRE Dome in Doha, Qatar. The championships was the first of six IAAF World Athletics Series events to take place in 2010.-Bidding and organisation:...
. At college level, she won both an outdoor and an indoor NCAA title for Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
Career
Born in Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, she attended Cardinal Mooney High School
Cardinal Mooney High School (Sarasota, Florida)
Cardinal Mooney High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Sarasota, Florida. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Venice in Florida.-Background:...
in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
. She was the 2001 United States high school champion in the pole vault and went on to win the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the Pan American Junior Championships in Athletics that year. She was the 2002 USA Junior Champion in the pole vault and reached the final of the 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2002 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica from July 16 to July 21, 2002.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
, although she failed to record a height in the last round.
She joined Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
in 2002 and, representing the FSU Seminoles, she won NCAA All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honours indoors and out that year. She also broke the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) pole vault records at the indoor and outdoor championships. Janson repeated the ACC double in 2003 and took her first major college title at the NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA team champions for Women's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Indoor Track and Field Champions*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship...
. She gained two further NCAA All-American honours in 2004 and 2005. In her final year at FSU she was the runner-up at the NCAA Indoor meet and became the 2006 ACC Outdoor champion with a personal record vault of 4.58 meters. She won the NCAA Outdoor title later that season, defeating Chelsea Johnson
Chelsea Johnson
Chelsea Johnson is a former American pole vaulter. She is the daughter of Jan Johnson, who won a bronze medal in the pole vault at the 1972 Summer Olympics...
on countback.
Upon graduation, she began to compete as a professional and in her first year she was the runner-up at the 2007 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
USA Indoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Indoor Track and Field Championships is an annual indoor track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
and won the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
. She improved her best that year to 4.60 m, which ranked her as the second best American in the discipline that year after Jenn Stuczynski. Janson had less success the following year, finishing just outside the medal at the indoor nationals and placing tenth at the 2008 Olympic Trials
United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
.
Her progress stalled in the 2009 season – she was eighth at the USA Outdoors and her best that year came at the Sparkassen Cup
Sparkassen Cup (athletics)
The Sparkassen Cup is an annual indoor track and field competition which takes place in February in Stuttgart, Germany. The meeting was first held at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in 1987 and is currently an IAAF Indoor Permit Meeting....
in February, where she cleared 4.50 m. In spite of this, the following year proved to be a big step forward in her career. She took her first national title in 2010, winning at the USA Indoor Championships. She also cleared a new career best height of 4.66 m in February that year at the Tyson Invitational – a mark which ranked her in the top ten women vaulters that year. This led to her making her global debut at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics was held between 12 and 14 March at the ASPIRE Dome in Doha, Qatar. The championships was the first of six IAAF World Athletics Series events to take place in 2010.-Bidding and organisation:...
. Her first appearance was disappointing, however, as she took three attempts at 4.35 m but missed all three and finished in last place. She competed on the 2010 IAAF Diamond League
2010 IAAF Diamond League
The 2010 IAAF Diamond League was the first edition of the Diamond League, an annual series of fourteen one-day track and field meetings. The series began on 14 May in Doha, Qatar and ended on 27 August in Brussels, Belgium....
circuit and her best outdoor performance that year came at the Herculis
Herculis
The Herculis is an annual track and field meet at Stade Louis II in Fontvieille, Monaco. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
meeting, where she finished third.