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03/01/2017 11:00 PMTyra Finkeldey began her athletic career in gymnastics before she started track and field. That acrobatic background has played a huge part in Tyra’s ascent toward becoming one of the top pole vaulters in the state.
Tyra is a junior captain who competes in the pole vault and relays for the Old Saybrook girls’ outdoor track squad, which won the Shoreline Conference championship last month. Tyra ran on the Rams’ first place 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams to help them take the title that day. However, Tyra’s postseason run was far from finished as she later reached a height of 10 feet-6 inches to capture the Class S pole vault crown, while helping the Rams take third place at the state meet.
“Being a pole vault state champion is real important to me. I had to work hard for it. It all came together well in the end and was a great experience,” says Tyra, who hit 10-6 again to take seventh at the State Open on Feb. 20. “There was a girl from Stafford [Emily Kopec, who was runner-up at 9-6], who was ranked at the same height as me, so that competition was nerve-racking. After jumping with her for a while, I got a sense of what it would take to win. After I cleared 10 feet on my second jump, I felt more comfortable. I didn’t think I’d clear 10-6 and it was a great feeling.”
Tyra says that gymnastics helped establish a solid foundation for her success in the world of track and field. Still, the pole vault is an event unlike any other, and so Tyra had to work tirelessly to acquire the right skills for the event.
“I tried it out as a freshman and it was sort of second nature to me because of gymnastics, but it didn’t come perfectly,” Tyra says. “I worked at it. I did extra practice with it, went to the gym more, and started figuring out how the event works and the techniques to get better.”
While Tyra loves the personal challenge of pole vaulting, she also enjoys the company of her teammates in the relay lanes. It’s that type of camaraderie on both the boys’ and girls’ squads that made Old Saybrook’s conference championship all the more sweeter for Tyra.
“Relays are definitely different because you are part of a team and it’s less stressful because they are with you, which makes it more enjoyable,” says Tyra. “It was an incredible feeling to win Shorelines because we won it in outdoor track last year, but not for indoor. We trained hard all season long because we knew we had a chance to win. When we won, it was a great feeling, and it was also great to be dual champions that day with the boys’ team.”
Rams’ indoor track Head Coach Peter Capezzone praises Tyra for her year-round dedication to athletics, along with her attention to detail when it comes to studying the sport.
“Tyra is a hard worker. She prepared extremely well this year. She ran cross country and was consistently in our top five. By the time indoor season started, she had a tremendous base,” says Capezzone. “She is an excellent student, therefore, studies the pole vault and what other successful vaulters do to better themselves. I consider her a student of the sport. Tyra is a very unselfish athlete as she often times helps others, especially the younger members on our team. She receives a lot of help from Russ VerSteeg, who runs the Connecticut Skyjumpers program out of Norwich, and Coach Pat Rubega of East Hampton. Both of these gentlemen do an exceptional job of preparing high school vaulters.”
As one of the Rams’ captains, Tyra loves that she gets the opportunity to mentor her younger teammates. Looking ahead to outdoor track this spring, as well as her senior season, Tyra wants to soar to even greater heights at Old Saybrook.
“Being captain has helped me as a person. It has taught me leadership roles and also that you want to help others the way you’d want to be helped. It’s also really great to help others and teach them new things,” says Tyra, who thanks her parents Pascale and John, along with Capezzone, Rubega, plus her teammates and friends. “For outdoor this year, I want to go out strong and clear 10-6 consistently and set personal records by the end of the year. Next year, I want to get over the 12-foot bar.”