Last Updated on July 7, 2023 by Andrew Pirie
Table of Contents
Alyana Nicolas
PB: 4.06m /4.00m with Phi Team.
Achievements:
- Filipino JR Record Surpassed but no Passport 3.47m
- 8th at the 2019 Asian Championships
- Silver Korean Open
Coach: Edward Lasquete
Philippine Team (2019-
Week 3: PB for Alyana
February 2015
Very few members of the Fil-Heritage program competed this weekend. And unlike previous weeks, nobody made it past the SEA Games standards or set national records.
Above all, Alyana Nicolas set a new personal best in the Pole Vault with a leap of 3.52m. Improving on her 3.50m performance the other week at the Washington Invite in Seattle. She is still outside the 3.80m qualifying standard for the SEA Games. The deadline is March 22 for selection.
Mixed Results for Jumpers
Fil-Heritage vaulter Alyana competing for Cal State Northridge tied her indoor PB with 3.52m. Still 28cm away from SEA Games qualifying at the MPSF Indoor Champs in Seattle, Washington.
In addition, after struggling to adjust to her first year at San Jose City College, Pole Vaulter. Alyana Nicolas had a breakthrough of sorts at The Pole Vault summit at Reno. The 20-year-old had a breakthrough of sorts with a 3.35m indoor PB.
Just outside her Personal best of 3.47m. Alyana’s best of 3.47m was above the Philippine Junior Record in 2013.
However, and did it before she acquired a passport, so and did not count it.
She needs to increase her leap to 3.80m to join SEA Games Bronze medalist Riezel Buenaventura in Singapore.
However, she was previously coached by Former Filipino Olympian Ed Lasquete
Other Performances
Alyana Nicolas at the same meet with an Indoor PB of 3.42m just outside her outdoor PB from 2013 of 3.47m. A leap of 3.80m is required to qualify for SEA Games. She is a former protege of former Olympian and three-time SEA Games Champion Ed Lasquete.
Fil-Heritage Alyana Nicolas
July 17, 2014
Fil Heritage pole vaulter Alyana Nicolas had a stunning season in 2013 surpassing the Filipino Junior Record eventually lifting it from 3.10m to 3.47m by April of 2013.
Unfortunately, this record could not be counted as Alyana did not obtain a Filipino Passport, however, she had held Dual Citizenship papers since November of last year. As per the NSA rules the PATAFA administration advised that she must obtain a Filipino passport for her record to be counted. This meant that she now would need to break the 3.10m mark set by Natasha Marie Nalus’s last UAAP again.
This hadn’t deterred the focus of the 18-year-old who is being coached by SEA Games 3 times gold medalist and Olympian Edward Lasquette in San Jose.
“I will just go out and break it again”
And that is very likely as almost every jump she has registered this year has been over 3.10m. Alyana will compete twice next month at meets in the States. The 18-year-old is currently ranked #3 in South East Asia for 2013 however the Bronze medal standard for the SEA Games. Below are the previous articles on Alyana Nicolas
Fil-Heritage athlete Alyana Nicolas. The Story of the PV Womens JR Record Continues………..
Background and Current Events
Over the last decade Pole Vaulting but in particular Womens Pole Vaulting has taken off. This is mainly due to the efforts started by Coach Vicente Villauneva, and carried on by his student’s now coaches. Brothers Coaches Emerson and Edward Obiena founded the Philippine Pole Vault Club (PPVC) and Coach Mike Pelaez has a strong stable of his vaulters aswell. It was Pelaez’s most recent charge Natasha Marie Nalus who broke the Philippine Junior Womens Pole Vault record with a leap of 2.95m.
However, a new group of Vaulters has emerged in the United States. I would like to emphasize the contribution/impact Fil-Heritage pole vaulters have had on the Philippines with Edward Lasquette, Jose Utzurun, and Deborah Sampson representing the Philippines at the SEA Games level. Lasquette won three successive golds a the SEA Games and Samson a bronze and a silver. Lasquette also went on to break the National Record with a 5.00m leap at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.
Perhaps looking to continue that legacy and who is determined to break Lasquete’s record during the upcoming collegiate season in the United States which starts in November is Julio Alorro of New Jersey. The 22-year-old who was born in Quezon City has a personal best of 4.91m which is the second-best jump in South East Asia this year.
Alyana Nicolas
Lasquette contribution to the sport continues however now that an athlete he is mentoring a promising female athlete Alyana Nicholas who is being coached by Steve Nelson of Pleasant Heights.
Alyana Joyce Martinez Nicolas was born on 29 August 1994, in Pangsanjan, Laguna. Her mother is from Laguna and her father is from Pangasinan. Alyana moved to the United States at the age of 10. She now resides in San Jose, California. She is currently in her senior year at Mount Pleasant High School. This is also the school that Ed Lasquette attended.
Because Alyana does not have a valid Filipino passport from now on her mark is not officially the junior record in the pole vault although it surpasses it. Alyana is working on getting her passport renewed.
She started as a Hurdler with the best time of (16.11s) last year. Her other bests include (the 4.99m) Long Jump and (the 10.47m) Triple Jump. The earlier are not marks that would rank her in the Philippines, however, she is better at the pole vault.
Her best Pole Vault is (10 feet 6 inches) which converts to (3.20m). The official result can be found here.
2nd Philippines Rankings
This leap places her second on the Philippine Ranking List behind National team mainstay Riezel Buenaventura (3.90m). It places her fourth on the all-time women’s list. Behind Fil-Heritage athlete Deborah Sampson, Riezel, and Atenean former SEA Games rep Mika Santos. (click the image below to view)
Although Alyana’s best mark of 3.20m is quite far from the SEA Games bronze medal criteria of 3.90m. Currently, Riezel has achieved that and is ranked third in South East Asia (Jad Adrian Washif, SEA Ranking Lists 2012). The 8th best time on the SEA Rankings is 3.30m.
Riezel
Although she is far behind Riezel in terms of performance, it’s important to note that at one time Riezel and Mika Santos were once at about the same level as Alyana when Deborah was setting Filipino National Records with 4.00m+ jumps. The Pole Vault is one of those events in Track and Field where athletes can get better with age, and for women being in their late 20s and early 30s is an advantage.
At 18 Alyana is looking at the possibility of participating in the National Games or National Open. This will provide a very interesting display of vaulting between two of our countries’ greatest-ever junior women pole vaulters. As Nash Nalus of UP who is the same age may very well be participating as well. Also, the younger Emily Obiena (2.60m) the daughter of Emerson will be among the medalists. Maybe by 2015 Alyana or Nalus will be good enough to join Riezel at the SEA Games?
Fil-Heritage 2013 April (Amended): Alyana Shatters the Philippine Junior Record (Apr 1)
Alyana Nicolas had a significant breakthrough on Saturday at the 2013 Chabot Invite &Relays. Nicolas submitted her Filipino dual citizenship documents to PATAFA. The bow has taken a considerable amount off her own National Junior Record with a leap of 3.47m. Only two Filipina women Fil-Heritage Deborah Samson (4.11m) and Riezel Buenaventura (3.90m), have ever leaped further.
Progression this year for Alyana Nicolas (born 1994)
- 3.10m tied Junior record
- 3.20m new Junior record
- 3.25m new Junior record
- 3.47m new Junior record
results of the 3.47m jump official
However, please note this performance was not accepted as a Junior Record. On further research as the athlete was required to hold a Filipino passport at the time.
Nicolas breaks the JR PV Record (Mar 14, 2013)
After a disappointing start to 2013, Fil-Heritage pole vaulter Alyana Nicolas has bounced back with a new national junior record in the Girl’s Pole Vault. Nicolas who will turn 19 this year vaulted 3.20m the mark equaled her personal best from 2012 May (however that mark didn’t count as she only acquired her dual citizenship documents in November last year). Alyana opened with 3.10m this year and then had several no-jump meets. The previous junior record was held by Natasha Marie Nalus of UP who placed second at the UAAP. The two girls will go head to head in the junior division at the PNG.
Alyana is coached by Steve Nelson in San Diego the coach who mentored Olympian Filipino Record Holder Edward Lasquette to 3 SEA Games gold medals in the men’s Pole Vault.
(official results and dual citizenship papers to be presented to PATAFA and subject to ratification)
10″6 feet is equal to 3.20m on conversion
Sources
- https://gomatadors.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2663
- http://vaultermagazine.com/tag/alyana-nicolas/
- https://www.tfrrs.org/athletes/5159461/Cal_St_Northridge/Alyana__Nicolas.html
- https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/Athlete.aspx?AID=7729578
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