U.S. Olympic Trials : Steiner-Bennett eyeing lofty goal
Posted on Sunday, June 29, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE — April Steiner-Bennett went through a lot of sports trying to figure out what would give her the best chance to compete at the Olympics.
“It’s been a childhood dream; it’s something I’ve always wanted,” she said. “I just didn’t know how I was going to get there.
“ Whatever sport was available for free, I tried it. If I failed, I was like, ‘OK, what’s the next sport ?’”
Growing up in Mesa, Ariz., Steiner-Bennett first tried tennis, in the sixth grade. That was followed within the next couple of years by softball, volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, swimming, diving and track and field.
Steiner-Bennett became good enough at running sprints, and long, triple and high jumping to land at Paradise Valley (Ariz. ) Community College.
That’s where in 1999 a coach suggested the pole vault — a new event for women at the 2000 Olympics — might be her best shot to compete at an NCAA Division I school and make it to the Olympics.
Switching to the pole vault helped Steiner-Bennett get a scholarship to Arkansas, and now she hopes to finally realize her Olympic dream by finishing among the top three at the United States trials at Eugene, Ore. “It’s going to be a dogfight,” Steiner-Bennett said. “But I like my chances.” Jennifer Stuczynski is the leading American vaulter at 16-0 3 / 4 and a heavy favorite to win at the trials. Steiner-Bennett, with a
1 career best of 15-1 / 2, is ranked fifth nationally and among a handful of other vaulters competing for an Olympic berth. At the 2004 trials, Steiner-Bennett finished fifth, clearing what at the time was a career-1 best 14-7 / 2. “That really fueled my fire to keep competing,” she said. “Since then I’ve become more consistent at clearing the higher bars, and maintaining that through two days [at the trials ] is critical.”
Steiner-Bennett, 28, has a sponsor in Adidas, but also teaches physical education at a Springdale middle school and won $ 50, 000 as a contestant on the Fear Factor television show in 2004 to help pay for her training expenses.
Her Fear Factor experience included eating worm green beans, maggoty mashed potatoes and roach stuffing.
“I told them I would eat anything, and I did,” Steiner-Bennett said. “It was so wrong.
“ They tell you it’s a delicacy in another country, but there is no way another human being eats that for fun.”
After her college career ended, Steiner-Bennett went back to Arizona to be a training partner with Stacy Dragila, the 2000 Olympic gold medal winner.
But that didn’t turn out as well as she had hoped, and she returned to Arkansas two years ago to resume training with Lady Razorbacks assistant Bryan Compton.
“I learned a lot from Stacy about how it is professionally on the circuit... she’s definitely a role model to me,” Steiner-Bennett said. “But she got injured, the group kind of fell apart after the [2004 ] Olympics, and everybody kind of went their own directions.
“ I tried to stick around by myself for another year, but it just wasn’t working. I called Bryan and asked if he’d take me back, and fortunately he said ‘ Yes. ’”
Compton said there never was any doubt Steiner-Bennett was welcome back at Arkansas.
“She’s a Razorback, right ?” he said. “She’ll always have a place here.”
Compton said Steiner-Bennett has gotten faster and stronger and improved her technique since her collegiate days, but that her positive outlook remains among her best assets.
“If she has a bad day, you wouldn’t know it,” Compton said. “She’s not moody.
“ When she has a bad day, she kind of pushes it aside and goes on and forgets about it.”
Steiner-Bennett said one plus about her training stay in Arizona was that she met Cameron Bennett, whom she married five months ago.
“I’ve jumped my best this year, since we got married,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence.” At a glance WHO April Steiner-Bennett EVENT pole vault AGE 28 (born April 22, 1980 ) PERSONAL BEST 15-1 1 / 2 COLLEGE Arkansas HOMETOWN Mesa, Ariz. HIGH SCHOOL Mountain View CURRENT RESIDENCE Springdale CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 2007 Pan Am Games silver medalist; fifth at the 2004 Olympic trials; sixth at the 2005, 2006 and 2007 U. S. Outdoor Championships; four-time All-America at Arkansas (three times indoors, once outdoors ) after transferring from Paradise Valley (Ariz. ) Community College... SEC Outdoors champion in 2003. NOTEWORTHY Won a $ 50, 000 prize on the “Fear Factor” television show in 2004... married Cameron Bennett five months ago... teaches physical education at a Springdale middle school.
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