Abbey Way remembers the day she decided to participate in track and field. The Mt. Pleasant senior was 10 when she accompanied her parents to the PIAA Track and Field Championships to watch her older sister, Lindsay, participate. Way was particularly interested in the pole vaulters and turned to her mother, Jill, and said she was going to try it. So, when she went out for track and field in junior high school, she headed straight for the pole vault pit. That proved to be a fortuitous decision. Way, who recently signed a letter of intent to pole vault at East Carolina, is a two-time WPIAL Class AA pole vault champion, and in a little more than a month, she will be trying for a third WPIAL title. She also is the returning WPIAL high jump champion and competes in the 200-meter dash and the long jump. She owns the school record in the long jump, high jump and pole vault. “I’d like to be a three-time champion, and I’d also like to win the high jump and long jump,” Way said. Even though Way is only 5-foot-5, she utilizes her speed and athletic ability well. Way admits she’s not technically sound in the high jump; she just jumps. “Speed is my biggest asset in the pole vault. You also need to be strong,” Way said. “During basketball season, I tried to lift weights when I could.” Way earned the combined Most Valuable Player at the 85th annual Westmoreland County Coaches’ Association meet last year, when she won the long jump, placed second in the pole vault and high jump and sixth in the 200. But it’s in the pole vault where Way shines. She has her sights set on reaching 12 feet. She can own the state record in the pole vault if she jumps 12 feet, 4 inches. She also would like to win a PIAA title. “I’ve been getting 11-6 at practice,” Way said. “Once the weather gets nice and I switch to a bigger pole, I’ll challenge the 12-foot mark.” Mt. Pleasant coach Ralph Cardella said it’s possible Way can reach those heights. “Abbey is a competitor,” Cardella said. “She wants to do well, and she wants to win.” Way turned down basketball offers to attend Centenary College in Shreveport, La. She also had other offers but decided East Carolina was her best choice. “I liked the school, and I like the warm weather,” Way said. “I decided if I was going to compete in track, I wanted to compete in warm weather.” Way isn’t the only Westmoreland County athlete to pick East Carolina. Hempfield thrower and returning PIAA champion Kim Kanala also is headed to the school.

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