Lexi and Tori Weeks raising the bar together

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

 
The question had gotten quite old and neither of them was really sure it was fair.

Which one of you is a better pole vaulter?

For twin sisters Lexi and Tori Weeks of Cabot, Ark., it meant someone was fishing for a distinction between two individuals who are side-by-side in most everything.

But the fact of the matter was that Lexi finished the 2014 track and field season as the Arkansas state champion and all-time record holder at 14 feet. Tori was nine inches behind at 13-3.

"It was (a little discouraging)," Tori admitted. "With everyone always comparing you and Lexi always a little above me, it was hard to always hear that. But it's not like it wasn't fun for me to sit back and cheer for her (too)."

One of the most remarkable things about how the twins and University of Arkansas recruits broke into the 2015 season with identical heights of 14-0.50 on Saturday is that Tori got their first.

Tori showed that she was more than ready for a new season to begin and she PR'd three times at the Jack Frost Vault Meet at the Arkansas Vault Club in Black Springs. Lexi did manage to win the competition because of fewer misses, but Tori broke Lexi's state record and had it all to herself for a few minutes. Together, they are now tied for No. 4 all-time indoors.

"(Competition) has never been a negative between us," Lexi said. "But yeah, I was so excited for her when she made that (14-0.50) because I have been ahead of her. I might have been more excited for her than she was."

Their coach, Morry Sanders, thinks the twins may now own the distinction of being the highest pole-vaulting twin sisters in history with their combined 28-1.

After both of them topped 14 feet, Sanders suggested they raise the bar to 14-6.50 – a half inch higher than Desiree Freier's 2014 national record.

Each of them had one encouraging jump at it. And both of them now know what the record-breaking bar looks like and can focus on helping one another get there.

Freier, now a freshman at Arkansas, is someone the Weeks' both admire.

"At one point last year I jumped 13-10 and was No. 1 in the nation for a few days," Lexi pointed out. "Then (Freier) got a head of me. I was watching my rankings and we were watching her. She kept going higher and higher and it was encouraging for me that she set the bar so high because it makes me think 'I can do this.'"

The sisters were raised on gymnastics, an activity they did together from the age of 4 to 12. They advanced as far as Level 7.

Then they moved into track and field. Their mother holds the Cabot High record in the 400 meters and Lexi, who was third at state in the 400, 100 hurdles and long jump – said she's aiming to take that record down as well. (Tori placed third in the state in the 300 hurdles and triple jump and was second to her sister in the pole vault).

They are both about 5-foot-6. Lexi is a little bit faster on the runway, has a higher grip on the pole, and is a tad more aggressive. Tori might have a slightly better "swing" and a better vertical position going up to the bar.

The Weeks' got started at the Arkansas Vault Club, two and a half hours from home, back in the eighth grade when they attended a clinic. At the time, Sanders was coaching a standout named Andrew Irwin, who broke the national indoor record (17-9.75 in 2011) and earned a scholarship at Arkansas.

The sisters do almost no vaulting at home -- but they do run and lift together -- and make the journey to Sanders' club once a week, usually driven by their grandfather.

Both are members of the Cabot High cheerleading squad and both are excellent students who plan to major in Chemistry.

Back when they started out, the girls progressed equally. But in the ninth grade, Lexi started to move ahead of her sister, bit by bit.

"Last year I was nine inches ahead of her, but it didn't feel like she was that far behind," Lexi said. "She just didn't get any lucky breaks like I did. People always ask which one is better or who has the highest PR, but we have the same ability."

That was finally evident at the Jack Frost meet, where neither of them expected to go higher than 13-6 or 13-9.

"She's been pushing me this whole time," Tori said. "We've been pushing each other this whole time."