JSU News Wire

“I kind of felt like it was Coos Bay, except a little warmer,” she said.

Jacksonville State University has about 9,000 students and is located in a rural portion of Alabama, about 80 miles northeast of Birmingham and about the same distance west of Atlanta. It is surrounded by other small communities.

“The school is a smaller campus in a small-town setting,” said Rickey Wiley, Amber's father.

Wiley was drawn to the school by the full-ride scholarship offer and also by Jacksonville State's strong reputation in the sciences.

“They have a really good science department,” said Wiley, who plans to major in biology and then head on to medical school or a pharmacy program.

Wiley also considered Willamette University and Grinnell University in Iowa, as well as Boise State University, where the 2007 Marshfield co-valedictorian would have had nearly a full ride in academic scholarships but no guarantee of making the track team.

“I wanted to go somewhere where I (knew I) could pole vault,” she said.

She described Jacksonville State as having an emerging program in women's track and field - it doesn't offer a men's team in the sport - and said she hopes to help build the program.

“Hopefully at the end of my four years I'll improve their track program enough that they get a new track because they need it,” she said.

Wiley placed second or better at district in the pole vault all four years and was a three-time state placer in the event.

She boasts a career best of 11 feet, 9 inches in the pole vault - her winning marks at both the district and state meets this spring - though she has been over 12 feet a number of times in practice. Her best is well above the Jacksonville State University school record of 10 feet.

Wiley is competing this summer with the Pre Track Club and recently qualified for the Junior Olympics regional meet in Washington.

Wiley was joined in her letter of intent signing ceremony Monday by Marshfield pole vault coach Stan Solomon, who has guided the Pirate program to unprecedented success the past decade.

“I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him,” she said of Solomon.

The veteran coach credited Wiley with dedication and hard work since she transferred to Marshfield from the North Bend School District prior to her freshman year.

“She's been very self-disciplined about her eating habits,” Solomon said, adding that Wiley also was a dedicated participant in weight-room workouts, worked on her gymnastics skills - typical for the best pole vaulters - and joined the high school swim team to build up her strength.

“In track, she's done other events that made her a better athlete,” Solomon said.

Wiley also participated in the shot put and hurdles for the Pirates.

“She's been a good example for the younger kids coming up,” he said. “Kids will realize if they work hard, they can get a scholarship.”

Wiley said the work ethic she learned through pole vaulting is one of the things she will most remember from Marshfield.

“You don't get anywhere if you don't work hard,” she said.

Megan Wiley, Amber's mom, said she was proud of her daughter for her athletic accomplishments, as well as her perfect 4.0 grade point average at Marshfield.

“She's done a real good job of balancing everything,” Megan Wiley said.

Notes: Among the various family members and friends at Monday's signing ceremony was Muriel Roberge, who just finished her freshman year at the University of Nevada. Roberge red-shirted this track season while she recovered from an injury.