Dragila at the 2005 Reno Pole Vault Summit | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Stacy Renée Mikaelsen |
| Born | March 25, 1971 Auburn, California, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 7+1⁄2 in (1.72 m) |
| Weight | 137 lb (62 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | Pole vault |
| Club | Nike, Beaverton |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | Pole vault: 4.83 (2004) |
Stacy Renée Dragila (née Mikaelson; born March 25, 1971) is an American former pole vaulter. She is an Olympic gold medalist and a multiple world champion.
Stacy was born and raised in the rural town of Auburn, California, northeast of Sacramento. She also participated in gymnastics, but had to give it up due to childhood asthma.
She attended Placer Union High School where she played volleyball and ran on the track team as a sprinter, hurdler, and jumper. Early on she got coaching from Yuba Community College's John Orognen. She managed to get to the finals of the 300 meters hurdles at the CIF California State Meet, but didn't place.[1] She placed second at the Golden West Invitational in the 400 meters hurdles.[1]
She cleared 13 feet (4.0 m) in January 1996. By June she was up to 13 ft 9 in (4.19 m). The Olympic Trials held the women's pole vault as a demonstration event, which Stacy won by a foot (0.3 m);[2] it was not included in the program of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.[3]
She made the World Championships in 2009 her final major championship. She finished with a jump of 4.25 m (13 ft 11+1⁄2 in), not progressing to the pole vault final.[4] Dragila won the gold medal at the first three major pole vaulting championships. Her best vault of 4.83 m (15 ft 10 in) set in 2004 was significantly higher than other female vaulters of her generation.[5]
While she jumped 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in) at age 37, her 4.55 m (14 ft 11 in) at age 38 in 2009 is the ratified W35 Masters World Record.
In 2014, she was elected into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.[6] Dragila Way, on the campus of Idaho State University in Pocatello, is named in her honor.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | World Indoor Championships | Paris, France | 1st | Pole vault |
| 1999 | World Championships | Seville, Spain | 1st | Pole vault |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 1st | Pole vault |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Alberta | 1st | Pole vault |
| 2001 | Goodwill Games | Brisbane, Australia | 1st | Pole vault |
| 2003 | World Athletics Final | Fontvieille, Monaco | 1st | Pole vault |
| 2004 | World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 2nd | Pole vault |
† The 1996 contest was a non-championship event
Stacy divorced Brent Dragila in 2006.[7]
She lived in San Diego, California, and is the founder of Altius Track Club.
Stacy now lives in Boise, Idaho, where she owns and coaches at a premier indoor/ outdoor pole vault facility, Dragila Vault Co.[8]
She married American discus thrower Ian Waltz and welcomed daughter Allyx (an alternative spelling of the standard 'Alex') Josephine Waltz on June 21, 2010.[9]
