Rebecca "Becky" Holliday is an American

pole vaulter Pole vaulting, also known as pole jumping, is a track and field event in which an athlete uses a long and flexible pole, usually made from fiberglass or carbon fiber, as an aid to jump over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the Myc ...

, born March 12, 1980. She placed 2nd at the 2012 US Olympic trials in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census, ...

with a final clearance of 14-11 (4.55m), qualifying her for the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...

where she finished 9th in the finals. In 2003, as a senior competing for the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc Nike, Inc. ( or ) is a ...

, Holliday placed 1st at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Her personal record is 4.60m, set in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moine ...

in 2010. Holliday began pole vaulting at Reed High School in

Sparks, Nevada Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It was founded in 1904, incorporated on March 15, 1905, and is located just east of Reno. The 2020 U.S. Census counted 108,445 residents in the city. It is the fifth most populous city i ...

. Jumping 11' 9" she won the Nevada state title in her second year of vaulting. Previous to taking up the pole vault, she had been a gymnast. Her next stop was at

Clackamas Community College Clackamas Community College (CCC) is a public community college in Oregon City, Oregon. Founded in 1966, it is one of the largest community colleges in the state of Oregon. Clackamas Community College offers courses at three campuses: the cen ...

just outside

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...

, where she improved to 14' 4" (4.37m) to set the still standing Community College record in the event in 2001. She is a member of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

.Mormon athletes competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London
/ref>

References

1980 births Living people American female pole vaulters Oregon Ducks women's track and field athletes University of Oregon alumni Sportspeople from Sparks, Nevada Latter Day Saints from Nevada Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes of the United States Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Athletes (track and field) at the 2011 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games {{US-polevault-athletics-bio-stub