CHS's Myers signs with Greenville track
Chester High School track and field standout Abby Myers signed a letter of intent to compete on the 2018-19 Greenville University Lady Panthers track and field team in pole vault.
Myers will begin her next chapter in her educational career at Greenville, 45 miles east of St. Louis, where she has earned an academic scholarship for the 2018-2019 school year.
Myers plans to study psychology, perhaps in the area of sports with an emphasis in social work. Eventually she would like to coach track and field at the secondary education level.
"I am looking forward to college at Greenville," Myer said. "I am really excited to compete at the college level. I especially look forward to competing against my good friend and fellow Lady Jacket teammate Taylor Dunning who will be a member of the Webster University Track and Field Team next year.
Both Webster and Greenville are Division III universities in the same conference.
Myers began her high school career in 2014 where started on the Lady Jackets Basketball Team and expanded to track and field team as a pole vaulter.
She earned the "110 Percent Hustle Award" on the basketball team her senior year and was the Defensive Player of the Year her junior year. She lettered all four years in track and field and earned the Field MVP Award both her sophomore and senior years on the track Team. She was also an All-South selection as a senior and was All-Conference in the Black Diamond Conference her sophomore, junior and senior years. Her senior year she also earned the coveted Jeff Brown Award for Track and Field.
She qualified to compete at the 2018 IHSA Class 1A State Track Meet at Charleston, where she advanced to the State Finals and tied the CHS pole vault record and achieved a personal-best height of 10 feet.
Myers credited Chester track coaches Jenny Cartwright and Curt Gilpin for her success in high school.
"I wouldn't have even started to pole vault if Coach Cartwright hadn't encouraged me," she said. "She has always been there to push us and that push makes us 100 percent better."
"Coach Gilpin was always there to give me a pep talk. I wouldn't have cleared 10 feet without him helping me. He assisted me in overcoming every obstacle I encountered," she added.
Myers is the daughter of Stanley and Laura Myers and is the youngest of three children.
She finished her academic career with a 3.75 grade-point average. She was on the honor roll all four years and competed on the CHS Scholar Bowl Team. In addition to sports, Myers performed in the Chester High School Marching Band, Concert Band and Jazz Band and helped the CHS Music Department win the 2018 IHSA Class C State Championship Music Sweepstakes. She was also a cast member in the CHS Drama productions of "Buckshot and Blossoms" her junior year and "Disney's The Little Mermaid" her senior year. She was part of the CHS Art Club and wrote several articles for the CHS Sting newspaper.
The Greenville record for pole vault is approximately 11 feet, and Myers intends to go for that record beginning next year. Her Head Coach will be Brian Patton who is anxious to begin working with her.