By
Francisco Merced
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Newlywed pole vaulter out to break her own records
Andrea Dutoit likes breaking things.
With over 80 competitors on the collegiate level taking part in the Pole Vault Summit this past weekend in Reno, Nev., Dutoit started her season with a bang, breaking another school record.
Dutoit's mark of 13 feet, 5 1/4 inches was enough to place her in first place and set a new school record in the process for the fourth time in two years.
"This was beyond my expectations (for the first meet)," Dutoit said. "I was just trying to clear the bar."
Dutoit's mark ranks third in Pacific 10 Conference history and has helped her qualify automatically for the NCAA Championships, placing her as the No. 1 pole vaulter in the nation.
Dutoit said the lack of pressure remaining for the rest of season will help her succeed.
"It's just amazing because now I don't have to worry about qualifying for anything," Dutoit said. "I can just concentrate on working on my technique for the rest of the indoor season."
UA track and field head coach Dave Murray agreed.
"We don't have a lot of meets in which we can qualify, so (earning a spot in the NCAA meet) is a definite positive," he said. "Pole vaulting is a strange event - to get this out of the way creates a less-pressured atmosphere for her."
Breaking old records has become old hat for Dutoit, who entered the UA track and field program four years ago as Andrea Neary, a highly-touted long-jumper and vaulter from Flagstaff High School in Flagstaff, Ariz.
One of Dutoit's goals this year was to break all UA records that bear her maiden name. She married former UA pole vaulter Jeff Dutoit in July.
For her husband, just seeing his wife compete was satisfaction enough.
"I was just proud to see her perform so well," Jeff Dutoit said. "Breaking the record was just icing on the cake."
Jeff Dutoit, who is serving as a volunteer assistant coach while finishing up his degree, helps motivate his wife, according to Murray.
"He can analyze and be a second coach for her on the track and off the track," Murray said. "The encouragement they give each other is extremely positive."
Andrea Dutoit has anchored the No. 12 Wildcat pole vault team so far this season.
"Our team has a lot of potential, and that showed well this weekend," she said. "Our team jumped great, and that reflected well on the Arizona program."
The format of this weekend's meet was a sort of "Top Gun" event, showcasing the "best of the best" of pole vaulters.
The event - which included seven competition pits and ran from eight in the morning to nine at night - featured more than 600 competitors, ranging from high school athletes through the professional ranks.
Dutoit admitted that the meet was a bit intimidating.
"It was very different from anything I have ever competed in," she said. "It was kind of chaotic."
Dutoit, a physiological sciences and molecular and cellular biology major, carries a 4.0 grade point average and was named to the Pac-10's First Team All-Academic squad last spring.
Murray said that her competitive nature has helped her performances both on and off the track. As good as Dutoit is on the field, she may be better in the classroom.
"She handles pressure well - to maintain a 4.0 is a lot of pressure," he said. "(Academics) go hand-in-hand with athletics for her. She's just so competitive in the classroom, it carries over on the pole vault side. She's a delight to have on the team."
Francisco Merced can be reached at sports@wildcat.arizona.edu.
