Katie Moon has accomplished a lot in her pole vaulting career:
- A gold medal for Team USA at the Summer Olympics.
- Two outdoor world championships.
- Silver medalist at indoor worlds.
- Three indoor national championships.
- Combined indoors and outdoors, has the fifth-best mark in women's world history at 4.95 meters/16-feet-2¾.
- Two NCAA Division II national championships while competing at Ashland University.
There is one thing Moon hasn't yet done, but will on Friday (Feb. 2) at 7:30 p.m. in the third
Jud Logan Light Giver Open – compete in AU's Niss Athletic Center.
"To be honest, I really wanted this indoor season to be very on my terms," Moon said. "This year's a big year, being an Olympic year. I wanted to be very intentional about how I competed.
"I had a bit more freedom, and I knew Ashland had built the brand-new facility. I was figuring that would be a perfect kind of opening weekend. It was kind of the perfect storm of events to open up there. When I found out it was an open meet…everything just set up perfectly."
Moon will begin prepping in Ashland for USA Track & Field (USATF) indoor nationals, Feb. 16-17 in Albuquerque, N.M.. She will look to qualify for outdoor worlds, March 1-3 in Glasgow, Scotland. Then, it's on to the United States Olympic Trials, June 21-30 in Eugene, Ore., for the right to compete once again at the Summer Olympics, July 26-Aug. 11 in Paris, France.
She said being an Olympic gold medalist has taken pressure off of her, not added more.
"Everything I've been lucky enough to accomplish has given me a confidence that alleviates some stress," Moon said. "Three or four years ago, I couldn't call myself an Olympian. Not having the stress of 'I want to be able to call myself an Olympian,' that does alleviate some stress.
"I have proven to myself on days when it has mattered most and needed to step up, I've been able to do that. It does install a confidence that has been unshakable. But you can't take it for granted. I'm very excited for it."
Moon has progressed from a best vault of 3.86 meters/12-feet-8 in 2009 to 4.45 meters/14-feet-7¼ in 2013 to her career-best of 4.95 meters/16-feet-2¾ in 2021. It all started when she transferred to AU and began working under the tutelage of Eagle pole vault coach
Denny Steele.
And because of that, Moon represents Ashland track and field and NCAA Division II on national and international stages.
"It's a big honor," she said. "Denny Steele, he really was the reason why I was able to turn everything around. He gave me a future in the sport. It's absolutely huge. I owe Ashland University track and field so much for what my career has become."
On Friday, Moon begins her journey toward Paris. Could something else happen on Friday – such as a new world women's pole vault record?
"I think that's a bit bold," she said of topping the combined indoor/outdoor mark of 5.06 meters/16-feet-7¼, set by Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia outdoors in 2009. "I don't know about that. Anything can happen. I think the goal is just really to get going.
"It's not to say that it couldn't happen, but I don't like putting that kind of pressure on myself. I want to be very realistic about it, and see how it goes."
As for the future, Moon, 32, says she will compete in 2024 and 2025, then take it a year at a time after that.
"I got the automatic bid next year for worlds. I will absolutely go through 2025, then we will just take it year by year," she said, saying there's no reason to stop if she's still enjoying it and doesn't sustain injuries. "It gets harder and harder on the body exponentially each year. We'll see how it goes."
Tickets for the Light Giver Open can be purchased in advance
HERE. Tickets will provide access to Elite Pole Vault, which Moon will compete in.
