HICKORY, N.C.—During the closing ceremonies of the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Track & Field Championships Saturday evening, Carson-Newman women's pole vaulter Tori Gaul (Salisbury, N.C.) was awarded the Elite 18 honor by the league for outstanding work not only in the field of competition, but also in the classroom on the campus of Mossy Creek.
"I am very happy to get this award because I have been up for the (NCAA) Elite 90 twice and didn't get it," Gaul said. "It was a relief to get this one. I didn't know I was receiving it so it was a great experience to get it, especially since I have been out pretty much all season long with an injury."
Gaul is the inaugural award winner for women's track and field in the SAC as the junior boasts a grade point average that sits at 4.0. The junior majors in Biology at Carson-Newman and has been named to the dean's list on five separate occasions.
Aside from the dean's list honors, the Salisbury, N.C. native has been an Eagle Scholar every semester thus far into her C-N career. A student-athlete who meets or surpasses a GPA of 3.25 is recognized by the University as an Eagle Scholar and is given a patch to wear on their uniform during competition.
Gaul was also named a CoSIDA first-team Academic All-District performer to conclude the 2016 outdoor campaign.
Wingate's Jacob Troutman was the men's recipient for the award as he and Gaul accept the plaques side by side.
"This is a really great accomplishment for Tori because she works just as hard in the classroom as she does in practice every day," C-N coach David Needs said. "Not only is it a testament to her hard work, but this award embodies what we are trying to do as a program. We are trying to not only succeed on the track, but in the classroom as well. What an honor for Tori. I am extremely proud of her."
As a sophomore season ago, the vaulter had a year to remember as Gaul racked up numerous awards throughout both the indoor and outdoor plateaus. The athlete extended both the C-N pole vaulting records while also making two treks to the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships. Gaul was selected to both the indoor and outdoor All-Southeast Region teams for her performances throughout the year.
During the indoor slate in 2016, Gaul made it as high as the eighth-ranked pole vaulter in all of Division II. The Salisbury, N.C. native's best leap came in the final tune up before postseason play at the UCS Invitational on Feb. 20 with a 3.90 meter mark. The sophomore DNS'd at the 2016 Indoor Championships.
The outdoor season a couple of months later saw just as much success for the field athlete as Gaul again found herself ranked as one of the nation's top-15 participants in the event. Her best mark of the 2016 outdoor season came at the High Point Vertklasse Meeting on April 1 where the jumper finished at 3.81 meters in the event. Gaul placed 19th at the 2016 Outdoor Championships with a 3.65 meter clearance.
Now, as a junior in 2017, Gaul has been battling multiple injuries throughout both the indoor and outdoor campaigns. For the first time in nearly a year, the vaulter cleared a bar and looked healthy en route to a second-place finish at the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Track & Field Championships over the weekend.
During the completion, Gaul recorded a 3.61 meter clearance that actually tied for the wining height. The mark was good enough for a provisional qualification and is the start the junior needs as she prepares for yet another trip to the national stage.
"It was definitely amazing to get back out there. I had only one practice prior to competing on Friday. I was able to get back on my starting height and go from there," Gaul said. "It was awesome to find success again and I had some of the best jumps of my life. I am looking forward to getting even higher in the weeks to come."
Gaul, along with fellow C-N pole vaulter Marshall Shank, will spend the coming weeks in individual competition as the duo prep to make the cut for the 2017 NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships in late May. The two plan to venture to Georgia Tech next weekend and then the University of Tennessee Shortly after before taking part in the North Carolina A&T Last Chance Meet two weeks before nationals begin.
Stay tuned into cneagles.com for more accomplishments regarding the entire Carson-Newman track and field team.
