Summer Comes Early For FSU, Seminoles Sign State's Top Pole Vaulter

Florida: Class Of 2016 College Signings

Dec 03, 2015

(Photo by Cedric Gillette)

Summer Schafers is used to soaring and used to excelling. The Olympia High School senior competed in gymnastics before eight years before trading in the gym vault for the pole vault. She remembers her older brother's coach Jim Metzger saying that gymnastics made great pole vaulters because of their flexibility and strength. She decided to give the sport a try and as the saying goes the rest was history. Schafers was 4th in 4A as a freshman, runner-up as a sophomore overcoming an early season injury and says she was was looking forward to a junior season completely healthy.

"I was having a great season prior to me breaking my foot my junior year. A week before districts I had a fluke accident at school tripping on the stairs and broke my foot. I was so disappointed and just in complete shock. I just didn't understand I was in disbelief that it had happened. For three days I told myself it was just a bruise and pretended nothing happened come to find it was no bruise."

Schafers was favored to win the state meet which only made the feeling worse. However, she knew she couldn't stay down forever and hit the gym, swam, and kept her cardio up so that she could get back to work once she was healed. Those hopes for winning a state title continue this spring and with her college decision behind her she can focus solely on that goal.

"Knowing that I've signed takes a big weight off my shoulders and removes a lot of stress but it does not by any means mean I won't work just as hard and work to get those higher marks."

Recruiting has it's ups and downs, but for Schafers the recruiting process was very fun. She says there were times when it became a little stressful, but overall it was a great experience.

"Personally that feeling of being wanted by the schools that I was visiting was such a great feeling. The process became stressful when I started really thinking about where I saw myself most fit. Considering the pros and cons of the different schools was a little tricky but I really do think I made the right decision by going with Florida State."

She exchanged phone calls and emails with multiple schools such as the University of Kentucky, Virginia Tech, UCF, Tennessee, and FSU with the latter being her final three.For Schafers, the visits to those programs were very beneficial because she learned about the program and how the teams were fun, but in the end she says the Seminoles were the perfect fit.

"The visits made everything seem so real and made me realize that I was going to college. One of my goals when I started this sport was to sign at a D1 University. To say that I am going to Florida State University next year is such an amazing feeling. Signing that National Letter of Intent it felt so great to know that all the sweat and tears, the aching of muscles, the injuries I had to overcome, the hard work, the good days, the bad days, all of it had paid off."

The proximity to her family in Central Florida and the success of her future vaulting coach Dennis Nobles sealed the deal for the Noles.

My choice to become a Seminole came down to several factors. One being that I'm a big family person and although Tallahassee is a 4 hour drive from home it is still a lot closer than a flight home from Knoxville. Another factor that I really liked about FSU was the pole vault coach, Coach Nobles. I felt very comfortable with Coach Nobles and felt as if we would make a great team and that aspect of my decision was very important to me."

Summer won't be the only Nole in the house as dad Jurgen also attended FSU. The Seminole blood has been flowing in her ever since she was a youngster growing up attending home football games and a fan of the school and program. These factors made Tallahassee feel like home. For 2012, Olympic pole vaulter and fellow Floridian Lacy Janson, FSU was also home. Nobles also coached Janson and that connection between him and some of the best collegiate vaulters has her excited.

"I have an abundance of respect for Lacy Janson and all of her accomplishments. I definitely have some big shoes to fill following behind her but that only gives me motivation. The standards she set in her time at FSU will make me work that much harder to try and reach those heights she reached. I am looking forward to most just becoming a team with Coach Nobles. I have a lot of faith in the way he coaches and I intend on working very hard at the college level. I have goals and dreams of championship titles and I think coach Nobles can get me there."

The Olympia senior describes herself as a quick and strong vaulter. She says her success in the vault comes from her run and plant and hopes that propels to her new heights in her final high school season.

"I have a lot of speed coming into the box and a great amount of strength that allows me to get on bigger poles and hold higher which in return results in me clearing higher heights. I am working on improving my top half and becoming more vertical which will help me gain more height as well."

With a personal best of 12 feet, Schafers hopes to climb up the all-time list and join an elite list of 13 foot vaulters that includes Janson (13-1.75), former Lake Mary standout Erica Sergeant (13-2.25), and Nati Sheppard who cleared a state leading 13-3 at the 2A state meet in 2015 . Some see the number 13 as unlucky, but Schafers says it's a dream number.

"My main goal for 2016 is to jump 13 feet. All throughout the house I have the number 13 printed out on copy paper hanging all over. I want to come back this year and finally get that state title. Since my freshman year I've always dreamed of standing on that first place podium and this year I want to make that dream a reality."

To say that Schafers is motivated for the season to start is an understatement.

"Summer Schafers is driven. I have had many setbacks and many obstacles thrown my way but not once have I said I was done or I couldn't do it. Through each injury I persevered and worked my butt off to come back. I put in many hours of practice and time in the gym in order to make myself stronger and a better pole vaulter. I am driven to clear 13 feet this year and win the Florida state title."

Thank You's

"I want to thank my Parents and my coaches for helping me get to this point. My coach Jim Metzger has pushed me to be the very best I can be. He believes in me when I don't believe in myself and teaches me the things I need to know in order to better my vaulting. I've appreciated everything he has done for me. He's honestly like a second dad to me. I also appreciate everything my parents have done for me. They always motivated and pushed me to be the best I could be. I especially want to thank my dad for a lot of my success because he was a great coach to me that kept me on the right path as well as a super excited dad that only made me more excited being out there on that track. Some of my favorite memories throughout these years have been shared with him out on the track."

Thank You's

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