Nishimura seeks new heights

By Robert S. Johnson -- Neighbors Staff Writer
Published 3:15 a.m. PDT Sunday, April 7, 2002

She won the vault in Level 8 at nationals when she was a freshman at Bella Vista High School. She loved the feel of soaring through the air, flipping and twisting, then making a perfect landing.

Gymnastics was Nishimura's passion.

But her parents had grown tired of the sport. It wasn't just the expense of the daily drive to the gymnastics center in Roseville and the long hours of practice.

They wanted their daughter to expand her athletic horizons and enjoy high school life. Bella Vista, like most area high schools, does not offer a gymnastics program.

Having heard that gymnasts make a fairly smooth transition to pole vaulting, the Nishimuras prodded and pleaded with their daughter to give track and field a try.

"I wanted her to be involved in a sport with the school, so she could be with her classmates after school," said Katie's mother, Ellen. "(Getting her out of gymnastics) was kind of an ulterior motive. She was going four to five days a week, three to four hours a day year-round. It was very intense."

Although Katie Nishimura initially fought her parents, she finally relented.

"They were trying to push me away (from gymnastics)," said Nishimura, a Bella Vista senior. "I did (track) mostly to shut them up for a while. Then I learned to love it.

"I guess I learned not to argue with my parents."

Nishimura quickly succeeded in her new sport by qualifying for the state meet as a sophomore.

Katie Nishimura hopes the runway leads to another appearance at the California Interscholastic Federation State Track and Field Championship meet, where she competed last year as a junior at Hughes Stadium.

Neighbors file, 2001/Brian Baer

Even after mastering her new sport, gymnastics was often on her mind. Although she gave up gymnastics after her sophomore year, Nishimura couldn't get it out of her system. She often trained when not practicing the pole vault and maintaining a 4.3 grade-point average.

She planned to give gymnastics one final go this year at Level 10, but schoolwork, a stack of college applications and a strong objection from her mother combined to shelve her comeback thoughts.

"The first two years she insisted on doing both, and it was miserable," Ellen said. "I don't know how she accomplished what she did. By her junior year she realized she couldn't do both.

"When Katie said she wanted to do gymnastics this year, you probably couldn't print (what I said). It was not a good idea."

Katie Nishimura's choice to dedicate an extraordinary amount of time and energy to pole vaulting has turned out to be a wise decision, said Clay Taft, Bella Vista pole vault coach.

Her abilities have opened some college doors that previously were closed.

Ivy League schools Dartmouth, Harvard, Cornell and Penn want her for her brawn and brains. Nishimura already has been accepted by UCLA, UC Davis, UC San Diego and UC Irvine.

She hopes to clear 12-0 by season's end and seeks to place at the state finals. Although lofty goals, Taft said they are attainable.

"She is magic on the runway," Taft said. "She's the magic lady. Her work ethic is phenomenal, and she has tremendous body awareness."

At 4-foot-10 on her tiptoes, Nishimura is short for a pole vaulter. Though she's the shortest competitor on the runway, she manages to get the job done.

"She's losing 8 inches to her opponents, and we are trying to make her 5-6 out there," Taft said. "I've dreamed up more gymnastics stuff to help her. Sometimes I wake up at 2:30 in the morning and think of something and the next day we try it."

Despite the size disadvantage, her gymnastics training has helped her develop tremendous upper body strength. Her speed and spring on the runway give her the necessary loft to compete with taller opponents.

There seems to be plenty more air to explore.

At last season's state championship meet, Nishimura vaulted 11-2, a foot higher than her mark at the state finals as a sophomore.

Her vault of 11-6 on Feb. 23 at the Los Angles Indoor Invitational is the top mark among Northern California vaulters and the fourth highest in the state this season. Rachel Viau of Arroyo Grande High has the top mark, clearing the bar at 13-0 in a February dual meet.

Whether she can catch Viau -- or even come close -- doesn't matter. Nishimura said that she has surpassed her wildest expectations as a pole vaulter.

"Being able to do it makes up for anything I'm afraid of," she said. "It's something very few people get to do.

"I'm just thankful I can do it safely, and somewhat decently. I never thought I would be this good."

"She is magic on the runway. She's the magic lady. Her work ethic is phenomenal, and she has tremendous body awareness." -- Clay Taft, Bella Vista High pole vault coach

Robert S. Johnson can be reached at (916)348-2743 or rjohnson@sacbee.com .

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