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USC Record Holder--Pole Vault
Two-Time All-Pac-10 Academic
THIS YEAR: Senior Melissa Astete hopes to improve upon her school record vault mark this season.
2004: Astete had a best of 12-5 1/2 as a junior .. She finished tied for 23rd at the NCAA West Regionals ... Took third and scored a point at the UCLA dual meet.
2003: Astete vaulted a season-best 12-11 1/2 at the Pac-10 Championships, raising her own school record in the process ... Finished ninth at the conference meet ... Placed 10th at the NCAA West Regionals with a height of 12-10 1/4.
2002: Astete led the first-year USC vault program with a solid freshman season ... Had a season-best 12-8 at the Long Beach Relays ... She finished third at the UCLA dual meet with a vault of 11-7 ... Placed ninth at the Pac-10s with an NCAA provisional qualifying height of 12-6.
HIGH SCHOOL: Astete attended Birmingham High in Van Nuys, Calif., where she was as one of the most highly-decorated female vaulters in the country as a senior ... She finished second at the state meet in both 2000 and 2001 and was a four-time city champion ... Nationally, she won the Golden West Invite and was third at the Adidas Invite ... Her best mark of 13-0 3/4 was the seventh best prep mark ever by a female at that time ... Also had bests of 19:19 in cross country and 2:23 in the 800m ... Was 10th in her class academically and class secretary at Birmingham.
PERSONAL: Melissa was born on Oct. 22, 1983 ... She is a business major at USC ... Her sports hero is world-record holder Stacy Dragila ... She has a 3.93 GPA at USC.
CAREER BEST: Pole Vault--13-0 3/4
