[00:00:15] Speaker A: Hello. Welcome to the Roundhouse Podcast with Paul Sullentrop of Wichita State University Strategic Communications. We appreciate your time listening to this podcast. We're going to talk track and field. Today we have Aliyah Fertig. Aliyah coaches the pole vaulters at Wichita State. She earned All American honors five times in the pole vault at Louisville, where she was coached by Brooke Rasnik, a former shocker vaulter. Arantas Cortez is a junior pole vaulter. She is from Peru. She ranks fourth on WSU's career list for the indoor vault at a height of 13ft 3 inches. On the outdoor list, she's seventh at 12ft 10 inches. In 2022, she won the NJCAA indoor title at Cali. College Shockers opened their outdoor season last weekend. Their first home meet is the KT Woodman Classic, home on April 11th and 12th. They are also at home for the shocker open on May 9th. So Aaliyah, you're on your second season here at Wichita State. What's kind of the first things you did? How do you go about building a pole vault group?
[00:01:16] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean at Wichita State they've had plenty of success in the pole vault. And so coming in and just trying to help create that success and strong Coach Rainbolt's a great guide and wants to help make the pole vault successful as he does with any other event. And so he gave me the tools and the resources that I needed to be able to, you know, recruit kids, be able to coach. And I had a great coach at college that gave me tools and resources that I could bring in with me first year coaching. Not a whole lot of experience at the college level in that realm. And so being able to have those tools and resources to start off with just helped tremendously.
[00:02:00] Speaker A: What's been the biggest thing you've learned in these two years? Something that maybe you've changed or adapted as you've figured out how to do this job?
[00:02:08] Speaker B: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is that there's not one correct way to do it. I think being able to give the athletes some say in what they're doing, especially if they're older, they've been through it a couple years, they know kind of what makes them feel good, how they feel ready to compete, having that communication with an athlete and not just a one sided, I'm going to dictate to you what you need to do, but also having that guidance for athletes who are newer freshmen coming in or they don't have a lot of background in the event yet. And so Just finding that right balance, that, you know, one thing may work for one kid, but it may not be the exact same for another.
[00:02:54] Speaker A: Why did you get into coaching?
[00:02:57] Speaker B: My dad was a high school football and track coach growing up my whole life, head coach. And so I saw that I worked at my gymnastics club growing up, helping coach the younger kids, and I really enjoyed it. And so going into college, it was kind of my thought process, like, this is what I want to do. I want to be a coach. And so telling my coach that she knew that poured a lot into me in that realm and helped helped me to grow in that aspect throughout my five years in college. But ultimately, I grew up with a bunch of great coaches in my life, and so the impact that they had on me will last for a long time. And so being able to try and have that same impact on kids that I coach is something that I'm really passionate about.
[00:03:48] Speaker A: Arantza, tell us about coming to the United States from Peru to compete in track and field. Why did you make that move?
[00:03:55] Speaker C: It was really hard to take the decision because I had a great life in Peru. I was a gymnast before, so I switched to polo and track and field for one year. And then I take the decision to move to US And Kauuli College recruited me. And when I came to visit, it was a really, really small town, and I came from a big city that is Lima. So it was a really big change. But I knew that if I came here, it was going to be, like, a good opportunity to me for, like, grow in public and in my life. So when I get here, it was a big change, but it made me grow as a person. And I was so shy when I came here that still I'm a little bit shy, and it's hard for me, like, to talk with people. But when I switched to Wichita State, there was a lot of good people to help me, my coach or, like, my friends from the track team. So I feel like it's been a gift that I'm here, and I think it's a good thing that I'm here with all these good people.
[00:05:11] Speaker A: So Arc City is where Cali College is. They have a big Halloween festival, right? Am I remembering that right?
[00:05:16] Speaker C: I think so.
[00:05:16] Speaker A: I think so, yeah. Yeah. I hope you got out and enjoyed the Halloween festival in Arc City. Then how did you end up at Wichita State? What was that process like?
[00:05:24] Speaker C: I stay one year and a half in Cowley College, and after my second indoor nationals, Coach Rainbow recruited me, and there was no coach here in Fogo because coach Pat Wilson, like, was sick. So there was no coach here yet. And I get recruited, like, after indoor. So it was a little bit hard to take that decision. But I think after, like, take that decision, it was something that no one told me. But after that, I realized that God put people in your life to make you. Like, I don't know how to explain it, but my boyfriend was here, so there was probably one of the resources that Coach Rainbow used for me. And then Coach Aliyah was not yet here. And then I signed. I don't know how I signed without a coach. That was crazy. And then I met Coach Aaliyah, and I think I never had a relationship that we have with a coach, so it was crazy, too. And then a lot of resources in the team, like my friends, fca, the scholarship that I have, then my major was here, too. So it was like, a lot of things that made me go here that I think it was my path to be here. And no other school.
[00:07:01] Speaker A: Sure. Pat Wilson was a former pole vault coach before Aaliyah. I was here for many years. Passed away two years ago now. I guess it would be two and a half, three years ago. Yeah. Well, well beloved figure around Wichita State.
Aliyah competing under Brooke Rasnik. She was Brooke Demo when she was here at Wichita State. She's from El Dorado, holds Wichita State's outdoor record in the pole vaulter. In the pole vault. How did that play a role in you coming to Wichita State?
[00:07:28] Speaker B: Yeah, it was a big role.
Obviously, I have a ton of respect for her being my coach. She made my college career better than I could have ever imagined. Just, she cared about every athlete as a person. She poured a ton into us as athletes and people. And, yeah, she's awesome. And so when she. She kind of was the first person to reach out to me about this job. Obviously, Pat Wilson was her pullback coach. I'm here. And so she was well connected and knew everything that was going on there, and so kept a good relationship with Coach Bolt and the other coaches on the staff really well.
And so when they were looking for a pole vault coach, she was the first person to reach out to me about it. And I think being from Illinois, Kansas seems really far away and kind of out in the middle of nowhere is kind of what my thought was. And.
But I was always told that, you know, you're coming out of college, you're looking for a job, like, you got to be open to anything. And when she recommended me that, I took that with a lot of respect. Because I knew she wouldn't put me in any position that she didn't think would be good for me.
And so that was knowing that she grew up in this program, knowing that there was a lot of history here, and also to the fact that all the coaches have been together for so long, like, that's completely rare. And so I, no matter how I spun it in my head, like, there wasn't a red flag about coming out here, seemed all positive. And I was excited to come and have the opportunity that Coach Rainbolt was giving me out of college to have such a big role on his team.
[00:09:24] Speaker A: And then you got here and discovered this is a lovely city with lots of things to do, good restaurants, all that kind of stuff. Yes, exactly. Yes, we love to hear that.
Arantza, tell us about your improvement over your two years at Wichita State. What areas do you think you've become a better pole vaulter?
[00:09:40] Speaker C: Well, I started in 2021 pole vaulting in Peru, so I just did one year in Peru, and then I came here. And I think I deal with a lot of injuries in the back, so I think get rid of that. Injuries made me, like, have probably not a complete season, but, like, get stronger and, like, give everything for me in this season. Because last year was I didn't compete indoor, but I compete outdoor, so I didn't have a full season. And this year, I finished my season in Peru last year in September. So after that, I take a break, and then I build up a little bit of volume, and then we start competing indoor. And I think it's getting better. Like, I'm getting better stronger mentally and physically. So I think that's the most important, too, to performance in the best way that you can.
[00:10:43] Speaker A: How does the gymnastics background help you as a vaulter?
[00:10:47] Speaker C: I think a lot of people that is in public was a gymnast, so I think it gives you more knowledge of where your body is at in the air. So it's easier for gymnasts to get into a pobo more than a normal person. But everyone has their own gifts, so everyone is.
I don't know. Everyone has their own talents, and I think we all complement each other in the team, so that's good.
[00:11:18] Speaker A: Aliyah, you're nodding your head. Is that a common transition or a common background that a vaulter would be a gymnast?
[00:11:24] Speaker B: Yeah, there's a lot of former gymnasts that are in the pole vault world, and that doesn't mean every pole vaulter did gymnastics. But the gymnastics to pole vault or gymnastics to diving is a really common Transition.
[00:11:40] Speaker A: How do you get over the. How does a young vaulter get over the scary part? Pole vault just looks like a scary thing to do. Aranco, was that hard to kind of get over that initial fear of being up in the air?
[00:11:53] Speaker C: I don't think so.
[00:11:55] Speaker A: Not for you then. And the gymnastics background would help with that. You were used to some, a lot of.
[00:11:59] Speaker C: Yeah, 100%, yeah.
[00:12:00] Speaker A: Yeah. Aaliyah, what about you? Are those early stages difficult for a young vaulter?
[00:12:04] Speaker B: Yeah, I think obviously gymnastics can be categorized as scary in its own sense, too, depending on what level and what kind of skills you're doing.
But I think you start at such a basic level in the pole vault for a beginner. You're not going that high off the ground. Some go lower off the ground than high jumpers do. So it's a very transitional start.
And then I think the other thing is it happens so fast that you, most of the time, you don't realize how high up in the air you are.
You're off the ground and back on the map before you know it.
So unless you take the time to really, like, think through that, it happens so quickly.
[00:12:49] Speaker A: So, Lee, you get the job at Wichita State, what are the first things you're doing as far as recruiting? Evaluating, obviously how high they vault is really important. What other things are you looking for as you go up building a pole vault group?
[00:13:04] Speaker B: Yeah. So I remember one of the first conversations that coach Raymolt and I had is that he.
He mentioned recruiting and how much of an impact that would be as a coach and how much I was gonna have to dive in and just get started recruiting right away. And so I remember first couple weeks here just trying to find kids online, reaching out to people throughout social media, whatever those things took. But obviously a certain height is something that I look for. But what other sports do they do?
Do they do any other events? Are they fast? Are they powerful?
What kind of things? How long have they been pole vaulting?
How.
What kind of approach are they on? How big of poles do they use?
And then also look at their form. Maybe they're fast, but maybe they're really raw in how they complete the jump. And so those are some, maybe good things, technical work that we can really work on and see an improvement in their jump through those things.
[00:14:16] Speaker A: Wichita State has had great success taking a multi sport athlete from a small town. And now they get to college and they're no longer playing football, basketball, on track, they can really just lock in on track. Is that successful? Does that work in pole vault also?
[00:14:32] Speaker B: Yeah, I think there's a lot of pole vaulters who specialize in pole vault, but there's a lot of pole vaulters who do other events too. And I think it can be an adjustment period. You go from doing all these events to only focusing on pole vault. And so sometimes it's finding a way to intermix other things within that so you don't get so, I guess not bored, but drowned out with monotonous, doing one event all the time. But pole vault is such a technical sport that you can find ways to make it creative, make it interactive of doing different things within it.
Obviously, you have to do the main things. You have to run, you have to pole vault and actually practice those things. But you can find ways to be creative in it to make it seem like you're doing. You're not just doing the same thing over and over again.
But that can be an adjustment period for kids who are used to doing multiple sports, multiple events, but being able to really dive in and focus on one thing, you can pick up better technical aspects. You can really focus on the little things a little bit more. You have more time to dive in and look at those things.
[00:15:49] Speaker A: Arantza breaking the 4 meter barrier for the first time. Describe the feeling of hitting that milestone.
[00:15:57] Speaker C: I feel like every wind has their own barrier. Like, I don't know, like the long jump, the six meters, or the pole is four meters. And it was something that we dreamed since I get, like into a pobl more deep and I know that it's not my pick right now, and I know I can do better, but that moment was like. I went to coach and I was like, call my mom. Because we dream with this moment, you know, it was really nice, but I think after the 4 meters, big guys are coming. So it was a really nice moment. And we work so hard for that. So.
[00:16:37] Speaker A: And mom is the first person that you would. That you would call or text. What was her reaction?
[00:16:42] Speaker C: I didn't talk to her after the finish of the competition, and she cried, so.
[00:16:47] Speaker A: Right. Okay. Very supportive, Mom. Good to hear. Aliyah, you've got a big freshman class. Four women, one male pole vaulter. How has that changed the dynamic of the squad? I imagine it creates real strong competitive dynamic.
[00:17:02] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure.
They're great. I think having a big group is awesome. You always have somebody to push you. You always have somebody there to support you. You always have somebody there who's right there with you. You know, pole vault can be a scary event. It can be a mentally challenging event. And so having teammates who are working through those things with you, they understand what it feels like to be in those moments. And really having that big group of support, I think has been really encouraging.
And then also just the freshman classes come in and they've just dove right in, worked hard, and I think that's just allowed for a really good group dynamic for the group as a whole. And it's been really awesome to see.
[00:17:47] Speaker A: Aranta is pole vaulting. The track event. Track and field event with the most variables.
This is a Steph Wright question. I hadn't thought about this at all, but Steph Wright does media relations for track and field, and she said she thought the interesting thing about the pole vault was there's so many variables, variables that most of the other events don't have to mess with.
I've stumped you, Aaliyah.
What seems like there are a lot of variables that maybe the ordinary person wouldn't think about as far as the pole and the wind and all those kinds of things.
[00:18:20] Speaker B: I think sometimes people's biggest surprise is you don't just have one pole.
Most athletes have six to 10 pulls that they take with them to every meet. And so, you know, are you going to go on a stiffer pole? Are you going to go on a pole that's longer? Where are you going to put your standards, which is the depth from the back of the plant box to as far back as they can go, which is 80 centimeters. So you have a wiggle room of 45 to 80 centimeters that you can put the bar in relation to the depth that you're going to travel into the pit.
So based on what pole you're on, if you're on a stiffer pole most of the time your standards will be closer or maybe you're on a stiffer pole, but it's moving a lot faster than it normally does. So your standards are going to be further back. And it's just most of the time, even though it can be pretty consistent of, okay, if I'm on this certain pole, my standards are most likely going to be at this spot. But you could have a day where you might be a little off or you're really on the next day and your standards are going to be different on that pole, or that pole is not even going to be big enough to work for you that day because you're moving through it so well. And then especially outdoor, then you got wind factors and a lot of different things. And so there's, there are a lot of Different.
[00:19:55] Speaker D: Hi, this is Rick Muuma, president of Wichita State University. Check out the latest episode of the Forward Together podcast. Each episode, I sit down with different guests from Shocker Nation to celebrate the vision and mission of Wichita State University. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
[00:20:26] Speaker A: Aranta, tell us how many poles you work with and. And how you go about choosing what might be right for the right day.
[00:20:34] Speaker C: Sometimes, like, you need to just. You just know what you need to do in the competition, but sometimes, like, that's what coaches do. So, like, she tells you, like, move up or, like, move your grip or, like, move your standards, and it's something that probably you can do it alone, but if you have someone there, it's so much easier. And that's why I trust Coach. It's like, you know what to do with me. Just tell me what I need to do and I'm gonna run and jump.
Sometimes I use probably more than five poles in a meet. And some people think that a bigger pole is gonna make you jump higher, but if you use the pole that is working for you that day, you just need to work through that. Like, you don't need to use, like, I want to go to, like, the biggest pole that I have to jump higher. Like, that doesn't make any sense if a smaller pole is working that day and it's going to make you jump as high as a bigger pole, you know, so there are so many factors that can affect that day that you just need to work through what you have.
[00:21:42] Speaker A: Aliyah, what's the balancing act for a coach between directing, giving advice, giving guidance, but also letting them figure it out on their own?
[00:21:52] Speaker B: Yeah, I think that's similar to kind of what I was saying at the beginning with training wise and allowing athletes to know what they feel. I think with a freshman, you're just kind of getting to know them. You're figuring out how they handle things, what they do. And I think there's a little bit more of a I'm going to tell you kind of what to do and see how you handle it. I'm going to see how you react if you're confident in doing that, because obviously confidence is a big key. If they're not confident when I'm telling them, then it's not going to go well. So I have to make sure that they're confident in what I'm going to address them to do and coach them. But also an athlete that's been here for three years, I kind of know them a little bit well. I'll have a Little bit more communication. Okay.
[00:22:38] Speaker A: Where.
[00:22:38] Speaker B: How are you feeling? Do you feel ready to go up to the next pull? Do you feel like if you hit this pole a little bit better, it's going to be too soft? How does this pole feel in. You know, how does your run feel?
How. Okay, this is what I'm thinking about doing. With your standards, how do you feel about that? Yeah, that works. Okay, then we'll go forward from there.
[00:22:57] Speaker A: So there would be a real mental grind to being a pole vaulter. It can get difficult. What. What tricks do you use? What techniques do you use to get yourself through a tough practice or a tough meet?
[00:23:11] Speaker C: I think one thing that I do every meet before start competing is pray. So I think it's a big thing that I started doing it since last season, I think. And me and coach, we pray every meet.
So I think it's something that. It's just like it's God's will and everything for him. And if the things don't go as I want is because he was writing for him, like that was gonna be the result, you know? So I think that's a big part of every meet that make me feel confident and still at practices, like, it's been a big part of just jump for him and not for me.
[00:23:59] Speaker A: So that would be a routine that kind of gets you. Calms you, focus you, get you ready to. Get you ready to go.
[00:24:05] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:24:06] Speaker A: Okay. Very good. Aliyah, you are. You're still competing in the pole vault.
How has competing while coaching, how has that changed? Maybe the way you look at your own career or how has it helped you coach the. The athletes at Wichita State?
[00:24:20] Speaker B: Yeah, I think for my own career, I think it's.
Throughout the last year, coaching, it's allowed me to just see different things in my vault, being able to help someone else. Okay, this is what I'm telling them. These are the cues that I'm giving the athletes. Okay. Now I need to apply those things to my own fault. You know, I'm giving those cues now. I can take them and apply them to what I'm doing as well. But then also in a coaching perspective, I think being able to continue to compete and know what I'm feeling and know how it's affecting me, I feel like that's allowed me to be able to coach better in a way that. Okay, I understand what you're feeling. I'm doing this also. I know. I know how I feel. And so I can relate that to how you're feeling and being able to be more communicative in that aspect, I think that's allowed me to help. And then also just with the support of the athletes and the coaches, they've been tremendous in allowing me to keep competing, and the support has been awesome through that.
[00:25:30] Speaker A: When we say you're still completing, we should probably explain what that means. What's your schedule like as a competitive pole vaulter? And what's the goal?
[00:25:37] Speaker B: Yeah, so originally last year, my goal was to go compete at the Olympic trials.
And I was like, there's. It's one year after college. I would. If I didn't try, I don't think I would be able to just look back and be like, oh, I was close. And one year later, I could have done it for another year. And so that was the original goal. Let me keep training for one more year and see if I can get there.
And I ended up being 2cm away from qualifying, and I had one of the most consistent outdoor seasons that I've ever had at higher bars. And after the year ended, in my head, I was like, I'm not ready to be done with this. I still have a love for it. I still enjoy doing it. The coaches and athletes are all supportive of me continuing to train.
And so I kind of. I just want to see what. Where my potential is. And so I. I still love it. I still enjoy it. And so trying to go out there and do my best and, you know, take. Take every day as it is and plan year by year and see. See how long I want to do it for.
[00:26:56] Speaker A: Being an athlete, being a coach means lots of road trips. You're on buses, you're on planes.
Favorite snacks on a road trip. What gets you through?
[00:27:05] Speaker C: Dried mango and dates.
[00:27:08] Speaker A: Okay, so that sounds very healthy. No Cheetos or anything like that?
[00:27:13] Speaker C: No. That's so American.
[00:27:15] Speaker A: Yes. We could probably do a whole podcast on the differences in food between people in South America and people in the United States. Aaliyah, what about you? How do you get through a long road trip?
[00:27:28] Speaker B: Yeah, I like dried mango. I like beef jerky. Nuts.
Yeah. Kind of more snacky foods than. I always have some type of fruit. Yeah.
[00:27:43] Speaker A: Books, TV recommendations. Arantha, what are you reading or listening to or watching? Help the people out with something to kill some time.
[00:27:53] Speaker C: I don't know.
[00:27:54] Speaker A: We can go to Aaliyah and you can think about it. Aaliyah, book recommendations, tv.
[00:27:59] Speaker B: So I probably hadn't read a book since I graduated high school until this last year.
And Brooke Schultz in Student athlete Experience, I was talking to her about. Okay, I'M done with school. Like, I just got married over the summer, so I'm not wedding planning anymore. Like, I need to find some kind of hobby to do. And she recommended me the Inheritance games and it's a three book series and I finished them in less than a month, all three of them. And it's like I probably haven't read a book this fast since I was in middle school.
[00:28:37] Speaker A: Okay. What are those books about?
[00:28:40] Speaker B: It's kind of a mystery of this girl gets an inheritance from big family that she doesn't know any relation with and they're trying to figure out why she was the one who got the inheritance instead of the guys 4 kids and their grandkids and. Yeah. So it's interesting.
[00:29:01] Speaker A: Okay. Good job, Brooke, for getting your reading. Yeah, love it. All right, back to you, Arantha. Got anything for us?
[00:29:09] Speaker C: This is gonna sound weird, but I finished my first book in my life in conference in the conference trip.
[00:29:16] Speaker A: Okay. For indoor conference meet.
[00:29:17] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:29:18] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:29:18] Speaker C: It was far beyond gold. It's a really good book.
[00:29:22] Speaker A: Okay. What's it about?
[00:29:26] Speaker C: Is from Sydney McLaughlin. Yep. She's a 400 heralds.
She's like, she gave everything. She talks about her relationship with God and how that impact in her career. So that was really inspirational for me.
[00:29:47] Speaker B: So.
[00:29:48] Speaker A: Excellent. Very good. Okay. Aaliyah Fertig, assistant track coach at Wichita State. She's in charge of the pole vaulters. Aranza Cortez, pole vaulter junior from Peru. Thank you very much for your time.
[00:29:59] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:30:15] Speaker E: Great insight as always. Thanks for listening to the Roundhouse podcast courtesy of Wichita State University Strategic Communications. We encourage you to rate, review and subscribe. Wherever you get your podcasts, you can always find more roundhouse
[email protected] down to.
[00:30:32] Speaker F: A 3, 2 pitch with two men on. Two outs in the ninth.
The stretch by Tyler Green. Here it comes. Struck him out. A no hitter for Tyler Green.
A strike three call on the outside corner and Tyler Green has pitched the fourth no hitter in Wichita State history. The second in as many years as he joined fellow classmate Charlie Jindrome as the author of a Wichita State no hitter and in the process struck out a career high 13, including all three outs in the ninth inning. Tyler Green completes a no hitter and Wichita State defeats New Mexico 12 to nothing.
