On Tuesday, March 26, 2019, Hatboro-Horsham senior Allison Riches was recognized for committing to continue her track and field career at Rider University. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery at the following link: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f263210720
Allison Riches – Rider University (Track & Field)
Major: Sports Media
Final list of colleges: Rider, Mansfield, Kutztown
Reasons for choosing Rider: “Mansfield was a really close second. I loved their track program, but Rider also had an amazing track program, they also had an amazing campus – it’s beautiful, and especially, they had the major that I was going for. Other colleges, like Kutztown, had television production, but Rider had a specialized sports media major, so I was like - if I can pole vault and do my major and it’s a beautiful campus – it had everything I was looking for. It’s a small campus, it had my major and also pole vaulting.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in pole vault at the collegiate level? “Honestly, I didn’t think about it until maybe last year because I picked up pole vaulting my sophomore year. My freshman year I still had the dream of going to college for softball, but then I quit softball and started with track. I started pole vaulting my sophomore year. I had college recruiters asking for me junior year. I went to nationals, and so I was like – ‘Maybe I could do this in college. This would be fun.’ I started looking at colleges for track and field, thinking I could get scholarships and I did.”
Coach Anna Baker says: “Her freshman year she was just a runner for us. We had no pole vaulters in our program, and I had just taken over as head coach, so one goal for me was that we brought that event back to life. I was talking to (former HH standout pole vaulter) Nick Marino’s mother, and we both said, ‘Allison would be so good.’ We ended up talking to her mom, got her set up with the Philly Jumps Club, and she had immediate success. We ran into coach (Ginger) Lemon at a school function and realized she also went to Philly Jumps Club, so we brought her on as a coach. Really, Allison has just succeeded since then. She was a state qualifier outdoor last year and indoor this year. She went to the outdoor national meet. She’s going after our school record this year and wants to make it on the podium at the state meet. I’m just excited to see what she can do at Rider University. I just think that they’re gaining a one in a million person. She’s got a great spirit, and she’s the most dedicated and hard working athlete that we’ve had go through our program in a long time.
“Allison is not only a very strong pole vaulter – she’s still a very strong runner and athlete, and she’s always willing to jump in there and do the best she can, not only for herself but for her entire team. I think that’s been one of the most amazing things. She’s done pole vaulting and she’s at the finish line cheering everyone on who’s finishing at the track.
Coach Ginger Lemon says: “She’s just fantastic. We started out 10th grade. She started jumping at Philly Jumps Club in the fall, and in the winter, she jumped eight feet as her best. She just blossomed in the spring because she’s such a powerful athlete. She’s super strong and dynamic, and by the spring, she jumped 10 feet. She really improved very fast. She got to 10-6 the next year in the winter, and in the spring, she jumped 11-9, which was national qualifying and she qualified for Penn Relays this year. She went on to win the District One championship as well where the year before she finished 14th. She was 10th at states. She’s just an awesome kid.
About Allison:
Favorite food: Apples
Favorite TV show/movie: The Originals/Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron Herd
Favorite music: Country & Rock
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