Jumping into the record books

The Western Reserve senior broke the Division III high jump record last week.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BERLIN CENTER -- Anna Marie Ricciardi walked up to field official Ron Scott on May 1 and asked, "Are you sure that's right? Are you sure you measured it?"
You'll have to forgive Ricciardi. After all, it's not every day you set a Division III state record. So when Ricciardi cleared 5-feet, 9-inches at last week's Western Reserve Relays, she had to make sure.
"I told her, 'We've measured it three times; I'm sure it's right,' " Scott said with a laugh. "Then she ran around and started hugging everyone in the stadium."
Ricciardi, who won a state title in the event last year, had jumped a career-best 5-61/2 earlier in the week.
"I told my coach before the meet, 'I'm going to clear 5-7 today,' " Ricciardi said. "I never thought about the state record. I had no intention of jumping that high.
"But hey, I'm not complaining."
Breaking the mark
New Paris Trail's Pam Deaton set the old mark of 5-8 in 1985. Ricciardi had thought about breaking the record -- just not so soon.
"My friend Doug and I were talking and I told him it might be possible," she said. "I just figured it would be more toward the end of the season."
When she topped 5-7, she knew something special was happening.
"It really didn't hit me at first because it was so easy," she said of breaking the record. "I wasn't sure that it actually happened."
She is the third area girl to set a state record in the past year. At last year's state meet, Girard's Cachet Murray set the Division II 200-meter record (24.30) and Maplewood's Christen Clemson set the Division II discus record (157-1). Boardman's Laurie Gomez is the only other area girl with a state record, setting the Division I 1600 mark (4:48.59) in 1988.
Ricciardi also runs both hurdle events and does the long jump, but the high jump is her main event. She doesn't just want to defend her title, she also wants to break the state meet record of 5-71/2.
"That would be the icing on the cake," she said.
Future plans
It also might be her last track meet. Ricciardi will play basketball next season at Division III Wilmington College, which is about 45 minutes south of Columbus.
"I do like track a lot, but it seems like my heart is more into basketball," she said. "I'm always playing basketball in my free time, but I won't pick up and say, 'Hey, let's go work out at the track.' "
Ricciardi holds Western Reserve's career scoring record and is the only girl in school history to win a state title in any sport. She hasn't ruled out running track, but it's obvious that basketball is her first love.
"They have a great program [at Wilmington] and I really got along great with everyone," she said. "I just felt really comfortable there."
scalzo@vindy.com