Flipping through the air at extreme heights comes natural to gymnasts and that’s one reason why senior Grace Flynn has been Lyons’ top pole vaulter for the past three seasons.
Flynn qualified for the Class 3A state meet the past two years. She’s holding out hope this season that her hard work and switch in equipment will produce a first-time trip to the state finals on the final day.
Flynn won the Downers Grove Invitational April 11 with an outdoor season-high of 9-feet-9. On Friday, she cleared 9-6 to place fourth at Downers Grove North’s Ritter Invitational. Her season high indoors was 10 feet.
Few other athletes at Lyons boast her diverse record of athletic accomplishments.
The LaGrange resident began pole vaulting her freshman year. By then, she was already an established gymnast in middle school. Last winter, she joined the Lyons gymnastics team and competed at the JV level. One of her best friends is Lyons all-arounder Kelsy Kurfirst.
“I like pole vaulting better,” Flynn said. “The (uneven) bars help me a lot. It gives me upper-body strength.”
Flynn also competed as a doubles player for Lyons’ girls tennis team in the fall with senior partner Elizabeth Deneen at No. 4.
While her father plays tennis, Grace Flynn grew up in La Grange Park playing many sports. Her twin brother, Brian, is on Lyons’ JV boys tennis team.
She has been playing tennis longer than she has competed in the pole vault.
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“I think there are similarities (to gymnastics and pole vaulting), especially in the mental aspect,” Flynn said. “The pressure is something. You can practice something and you hit 100 times and have one shot at it in gymnastics. You have three chances in the pole vault. Both are frustrating and very rewarding.”
Flynn recently switched from a 12-foot-long pole to one that is 12-6.
“The pole vault is very tricky,” Lyons coach Greg Frandsen said. “She’s trying some new equipment. It’s good to bring it out now, but everyone is different because of timing (with a new pole). They all bend differently. She’s looking great. I think she can definitely go over 11 feet; she will go 11-6 in practice.”
At previous state appearances, Flynn tied for 17th in 2014 at 9-9, after vaulting 10-feet in 2013 to tie for 22nd.
“My goal is to go 10-6,” she said. “Last year, my personal best in indoor was 10-3 and my outdoor P.R. was 10 feet at the sectional.”
Twitter @geomwilcox