Bair named top Aggie
Utah Statesman: How did you get your start in the pole vault?
Shae Bair: When I came to school here six years ago, I was doing sprints and the long jump. They put me in the pole vault, and I ended up liking it and doing well, so they left me there. It just kind of stuck.
US: Are you nervous for this weekend because it is your last chance to improve your mark for the NCAA Indoor Championships?
SB: No. My indoor season has been just for training. My baby’s only five months old, so I didn’t anticipate anything big for the indoor season.
US: How would you feel if you qualified for nationals?
SB: It would just be an added bonus because I wasn’t really expecting it. If I get in, great. If I don’t, then I’ll just train harder for the outdoor season.
US: What do you like best about competing?
SB: I just like competition. I like the feel of competing.
US: How did you work your training around your pregnancy?
SB: During my pregnancy, I did a lot of stuff on my own at home. I kept doing some kind of training until the last month of my pregnancy. I start training again about six weeks after [my baby] was born, when the doctor said I could. But I’ve only been training consistently for the last two months.
US: What are your goals for the outdoor season?
SB: Because my indoor season is going so good, I have high goals for the outdoor season. I’d definitely like to qualify for nationals by mark, which is 13 feet, five and a half inches. I’d like to make all-American outdoor. I’d like to score high at nationals; my highest placing so far is fourth. A jump over 14 feet would be nice.
US: What made you decide to come to Utah State?
SB: Mainly my scholarship. They offered me the best track scholarship.
US: How did you feel when you set the new school record at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship?
SB: I was kind of surprised. I haven’t jumped indoor for the school since 1999. I’ve jumped higher than that in outdoor, so I was just like ‘that was cool’.
US: What other interests and hobbies do you have besides track?
SB: Being a mom, mostly. That’s where my main focus is right now. I’ve been married for three and a half years. My husband [Brad Bair] does the decathlons and is a senior as well. I also like the sports and outdoors.
US: What did you think when you heard about Kevin Dare from Pennsylvania State University who died doing the pole vault at the Big Ten Indoor Championships Saturday? Does that worry you?
SB: No. Because stuff happens when you do anything. It was just one of those freak things. I know other people who have done the same thing and they are just fine. Anything you do in life has a risk of something.