Vaulting Students In The Right Direction

Eleven years ago, Long Islander Amy Linnen set a national high school girls' indoor record in the pole vault, winning the Eastern States Championships at The Armory.

She followed that with two NCAA championships — one for the University of Arizona and another for the University of Kansas. For nine years now, she has held the national collegiate record in the vault, with a clearance of 14-10 1/4.

Now?

In a lengthy profile, Joe Werkmeister of the Suffolk Times reports:

Amy Linnen is home now, back at Mount Sinai High School where it all began. She’s a physical education teacher in the middle school and coach for the girls track and field team, the perfect profession for the 29-year-old to share her expertise.

But her students won't benefit just from her expertise, but also her philosphy. "I try to change the world and I try to affect them all," she told Werkmeister. "Maybe that's too big a goal, but at the same time I don't believe it is. I want to make sure I can keep that attitude and be like, 'I can help everyone.'"

Click here to read the entire piece.