Soaring to New Heights

It wasn’t a matter of if, but when for Laura Tesch. There had always been the potential for greatness, but a few factors seemed to keep holding her back. That is, until this year at least. 

Tesch, a senior high jumper from Renton, Washington (Kentridge High School), is currently ranked 13th in Division II and first in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference heading into this weekend's conference finals in Idaho.

Jumping a bar that is nearly as tall as the average female isn’t anything new for the 5-8, two-time Red Lion GNAC Athlete of the Week in January and February. Coming into college, Tesch had a career personal-best jump of 5’-5” that she cleared as a freshman in high school. Although she was never able to break that personal record in high school again, she found her way down to California at division two Humboldt State. After competing there for two years and jumping 5’-4.25”, which was good enough for second best in school history, she decided that it was time for a change. 

            “I just missed home so much,” Tesch said. “It (Humboldt State) just wasn’t a good fit for me really.”

            Part of the reason that it wasn’t a good fit was because as Tesch put it, “We just had a lot of coaches come and go.” Along with the numerous coaching changes, she continued to battle injuries along the way. Over the course of her two years at Humboldt State, there were repeated knee injuries that kept her from being able to compete at the level she knew she was capable of in college. 

            “It was definitely frustrating knowing that I was capable of competing better than I was, since I had done it before,” Tesch claimed. “Trying to jump if you’re unhealthy gives you a lot less confidence than if you were healthy.”

            Tesch knew she had the ability to excel in high jumping. Although, there were some doubts in the back of her mind since it was so long ago. She honestly wondered if she would ever break her mark again. 

Tesch sets up her approach.

            But, after transferring mid-way through last school year and being able to train and compete in a few meets, something changed for Tesch. She started to find that niche again that she had once had. After breaking the school record last year during the outdoor season and placing seventh at the GNAC Championships, she began preparation for the 2013 indoor track & field season. Although she was going into her senior season, Tesch and current interim head track and field coach Chad Colwell decided to approach it a different way. 

            She rested. Rather than doing all the pounding and beating that had caused her so much pain in the past, they chose to do more event specific training. By doing this it allowed the current school record holder in the high jump the opportunity to heal and work on maximizing her high jump training. 

            “I ran a lot of hills and stairs over the summer,” Tesch stated with a laugh. 

            During the summer there were also repeated physical therapy sessions done in order to try and rebuild the strength she once had. Once she was a little healthier, coach Colwell also decided to change his leading jumper’s technique. Rather than using her normal 10-step approach, he altered it to an eight step. 

            “Having a more consistent approach, along with being healthier allows for the ability to improve,” Colwell said. “She is incredibly talented. We just needed to train the approach first in order to make it more consistent.” 

Tesch clears the bar earlier this season at a meet in Boise

            If consistency is what Colwell wanted, then consistency is what he got. At the first indoor meet of the season at Boise State Tesch broke her own school record with a jump of 5’-3”. At the University of Washington she one upped herself again with a lifetime PR of 5’-5.75.” In the third meet of the year, she smashed her own record with an amazing jump of 5’-6.5”. 

            After resting last weekend, Tesch was back at it again this week, working on her technique and watching a ton of film to prepare for conference. She is doing everything in her control to prepare herself in hopes of reaching her ultimate dream; qualifying for nationals.  

            If she continues to do anything like she has done the previous meets, who knows how high she might jump or what records she could break. But no matter what happens Tesch knows she is at the right place. 

             “Saint Martin’s was a great fit for me and I’m glad that I came here.”

            Tesch will begin her quest towards her goal of qualifying for nationals Saturday morning at 10:30 am as she and the rest of the Saints track & field team compete at the GNAC Championships in Idaho.  

#saintsalive