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Recent Pioneer grad Aspen Moolenaar will continue her track and field career at Franklin College.
Moolenaar signed with the NCAA Division III school last month.
“I’m really excited. I feel like the coaches are just really motivating and see a lot of potential in me,” she said. “So I’m excited for what they have in store for me.”
Moolenaar competed at likely the most difficult regional in the state at the Lafayette Jeff Regional on May 26. She placed 10th in the pole vault with a vault of 10 feet, 3 inches and placed 14th in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 48.88 seconds.
“It definitely didn’t go how I wanted because every year I’ve been trying so hard to go to state and just knowing I couldn’t do that, it was kind of upsetting,” she said. “But I’m just grateful for everything I did accomplish.”
Moolenaar will be one of the featured stars at the upcoming Pharos-Tribune Sports Awards show on June 30 at McHale Auditorium. She will be a finalist for Volleyball Athlete of the Year, Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year and Girls Athlete of the Year.
She was the Fred Kinder Star of Stars at the Cass County Track Meet in May, winning titles in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump and pole vault.
She’s a Pioneer record holder in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, pole vault and 4x100 relay.
She was not able to reach the heights she had last year in the pole vault, when she cleared a school record 11 feet to place runner-up at the Kokomo Sectional. That height this year would have placed 13th at the State Finals.
Moolenaar later found out an equipment issue might have held her back this postseason as she wasn’t able to get back to 11 feet. She did get 10-6 a few times this season.
“I think I needed a new pole,” she said. “Being at a small school, we’re limited in poles. It was like last minute when we realized that, so we didn’t really have time.”
Franklin is a competitive Division III program that consistently produces All-Americans and conference champions. Moolenaar is planning on her main focus being the pole vault while at the same time also competing in hurdles and sprints.
“I think I’m gonna do everything since it’s a small college,” she said. “I think college will definitely help me improve a lot with different coaches and it’s just in a completely different environment. I think that’ll help me a lot and I’m really excited for everything I’m gonna accomplish and improve on.”
Moolenaar is also accomplished in the classroom. She was a Distinguished Scholar at Pioneer and graduated ranked eighth in her senior class with a 3.85 GPA. She plans on majoring in nursing at Franklin and competing in track for four years.
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Moolenaar signed with the NCAA Division III school last month.
“I’m really excited. I feel like the coaches are just really motivating and see a lot of potential in me,” she said. “So I’m excited for what they have in store for me.”
Moolenaar competed at likely the most difficult regional in the state at the Lafayette Jeff Regional on May 26. She placed 10th in the pole vault with a vault of 10 feet, 3 inches and placed 14th in the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 48.88 seconds.
“It definitely didn’t go how I wanted because every year I’ve been trying so hard to go to state and just knowing I couldn’t do that, it was kind of upsetting,” she said. “But I’m just grateful for everything I did accomplish.”
Moolenaar will be one of the featured stars at the upcoming Pharos-Tribune Sports Awards show on June 30 at McHale Auditorium. She will be a finalist for Volleyball Athlete of the Year, Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year and Girls Athlete of the Year.
She was the Fred Kinder Star of Stars at the Cass County Track Meet in May, winning titles in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump and pole vault.
She’s a Pioneer record holder in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles, pole vault and 4x100 relay.
She was not able to reach the heights she had last year in the pole vault, when she cleared a school record 11 feet to place runner-up at the Kokomo Sectional. That height this year would have placed 13th at the State Finals.
Moolenaar later found out an equipment issue might have held her back this postseason as she wasn’t able to get back to 11 feet. She did get 10-6 a few times this season.
“I think I needed a new pole,” she said. “Being at a small school, we’re limited in poles. It was like last minute when we realized that, so we didn’t really have time.”
Franklin is a competitive Division III program that consistently produces All-Americans and conference champions. Moolenaar is planning on her main focus being the pole vault while at the same time also competing in hurdles and sprints.
“I think I’m gonna do everything since it’s a small college,” she said. “I think college will definitely help me improve a lot with different coaches and it’s just in a completely different environment. I think that’ll help me a lot and I’m really excited for everything I’m gonna accomplish and improve on.”
Moolenaar is also accomplished in the classroom. She was a Distinguished Scholar at Pioneer and graduated ranked eighth in her senior class with a 3.85 GPA. She plans on majoring in nursing at Franklin and competing in track for four years.
Continue reading...
