JEFF FIELDER Editor
SCOTTSBLUFF – Beretta Coats, who graduated from Scottsbluff High School in May, is this week’s Nspire Today! Female Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance. Coats had a superb senior track and field season, including placing seventh at the Nebraska state meet in the Class B pole vault. Her best height in the pole vault this season was 10 feet, 6 inches. Last year, Coats placed fifth at state. She also qualified for state in the pole vault her sophomore year.
Q: Talk about how your track and field season went?
COATS: “I think it went pretty well. I didn’t get the school record [10-10], but I was happy with how I performed throughout the season. My coaches and teammates helped me a lot.”
Q: Did you come pretty close to breaking the school record?
COATS: “Yes. I almost got over 11 feet a few times, but I couldn’t quite get over it.”
Q: How much fun did you have at this year’s state meet?
COATS: “I had a lot of fun. It was a blast. It was very emotional, just thinking, ‘Wow, this is my last high school track meet.’”
Q: How exciting was it to earn another medal at state?
COATS: “I at least wanted to come back with a medal. It wasn’t the height [10-0] that I wanted, but I still had a blast, so that’s all that really matters.”
Q: Did you pole vault all four years of high school?
COATS: “Yes. I’ve pole vaulted since seventh grade, so it’s kind of become a lifestyle for me.”
Q: How much have you enjoyed competing in the pole vault?
COATS: “I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I’m excited to pole vault in college. It will be hard not having the same coach [Todd Menghini] because Coach Menghini has been my favorite person throughout pole vaulting. But I’m excited to see what I can do in college.”
Q: When you started pole vaulting in seventh grade, did you imagine that you would become one of the top vaulters in Class B?
COATS: “No. I was actually just doing it for fun. I got to my freshman year, and Coach Menghini came up to me in the hallway and said, ‘Are you pole vaulting this year?’ I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ He said, ‘Well, you should definitely give it a try.’ So I went out, and after my freshman year, I thought, ‘Wow, I really love this. This is super fun.’ I stuck with it and continued to improve.’”
Q: For you, what’s been the key to having success in the pole vault?
COATS: “I think just having a good, positive attitude toward it. If you’re going down the runway with a bad attitude or if you have negative thoughts, you’re not going do very well. You always have to stay positive and think, ‘I can do this.’”
Q: Were you ever nervous about pole vaulting? Not everyone wants to be upside down that high in the air.
COATS: “Yes, I get that question a lot. At first, I was nervous when I first bent the pole. For a while, I was stick vaulting, so I wasn’t bending the pole. The first time I ever bent the pole, I got nervous and let go of the pole. I looked back at my coach, and he said, ‘You just bent the pole for the first time!’ I was like, ‘That’s scary. I don’t think I like that.’ But once I started bending it more, I got used to it, and then it became a lot more fun, and it wasn’t scary anymore.”
Q: Have you competed in other events in high school?
COATS: “My freshman year, I subbed in for someone in the 4×400. I figured out that year that I didn’t like distance. [laughs] Last year, I ran on the 4×100 relay team – from halfway through the season to the end. It was pretty fun. After that, though, I just stuck with pole vault.”
Q: Talk about your college plans?
COATS: “I’m going to college at Mount Marty, which is in Yankton, South Dakota. I’m excited about it. I already know who my roommate is going to be [Kylee Edmonds, a pole vaulter from Wahoo]. I actually vaulted against her at state the past two years. We stay in touch. As for the school, it’s a really good school. Every time I’ve visited there, it’s been amazing. And the environment there is so friendly.”
Q: Did you consider any other colleges?
COATS: “I did visit other colleges, but Mount Marty stuck out the most to me. They have a gorgeous campus, and they have the major that I want to go into. Also, every chance someone has an opportunity to help someone there, they reach out their hand. That’s the type of environment I want to be in. That really influenced my decision to pick Mount Marty.”
Q: How much more improvement do you think you can make in the pole vault at Mount Marty?
COATS: “With a lot of practice, I think I’ll become a lot better at pole vaulting. I’ll get to practice a lot more because they have the indoor and outdoor seasons. I’ll be practicing year-round.”
Q: What do you plan to major in?
COATS: “I’m going into physical therapy. They have a really good program there.”
Q: What made you decide to pursue a career in physical therapy?
COATS: “I was always in the physical therapy office at my school, so I kind of picked up on a few things. I thought it would be cool to be able to help other people. I talked to James Buck about it because he’s the physical trainer at our school. He told me what I would need to do, and that helped me decide to go into physical therapy.”
Q: How does it feel to be done with high school now?
COATS: “It feels good, but it’s also sad because I came from a routine of seeing people every day and just being at school to now staying at home and sleeping in. I normally don’t work until night, so it’s really different. I’m going to miss it. I’m already missing it.”
Q: What was your graduation day like?
COATS: “It was very emotional. It seems like I just started my freshman year, and then within a blink of an eye, I’m graduating. It was a great feeling, though, knowing that I graduated.”
Q: How would you sum up your career at Scottsbluff High School?
COATS: “It was great. I enjoyed it. Scottsbluff High School is a really amazing school. I loved it. I’m proud to say that I was a Bearcat.”
For all your insurance needs, visit The Kristy Culek Agency, LLC-American Family Insurance, located at 1012 Ave. I in Scottsbluff, or call 308-632-8598.
