RamWire: Simpson Upholds Family Tradition
Senior vaulter focused on strong finish
Kyle Crooks
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Carrying on her family’s tradition is important to senior Aliya Simpson.
Well, now it is. At first, not so much.
“Both my older sisters started pole vaulting because we had a neighbor who was a pole vault coach when I was in sixth grade,” Simpson said. “So I grew up around the track scene and at first, I swore I would never pole vault because I was constantly around it.”
That was quick to change for Simpson as she entered Desert Vista High School in Phoenix and found out early on she wanted to put her time toward a sport like track, where it was more focused around her own self-improvement.
As the youngest of three sisters in her family, Simpson grew up in a competitive atmosphere. Whether the three were on the track or hanging out at home, someone was always trying to break each other’s records.
When her oldest sister Laryssa earned a scholarship to the University of Utah and her middle sister Shaylah was offered to compete for Arizona State University, “I felt like I needed to carry on the family torch,” Simpson said.
“Because of my sisters, I ended up knowing the track coach really well,” Simpson said. “I wanted to put my time into a sport that was more individual and I could work on myself.”
As a freshman in 2013, Simpson didn’t hold back as she claimed Arizona’s state freshman pole vault record with a 12-foot-1 leap and was ranked in the state top five in the event throughout her prep career.
Simpson’s athletic abilities in her first three years were only a tease compared to her senior performance. She won six pole vault events, including the AZ Meet of Champions where she went on to set a personal record her last vault for Desert Vista, earning her a fifth-place spot in the school’s record book.
The journey would only be the beginning for Simpson as she earned a scholarship from the Rams in 2016.
“What was special when growing up was when I got to see my sisters enter college,” Simpson said. “I thought it was so cool how they got to travel and go to all these different places to represent their school. Looking back, I’m really grateful to have a support system like them who have given me so much advice and even helped me find my home here.”
Since arriving on campus, Simpson has been training every day just to fight for the extra inch on each of her jumps. She’s worked her way up to a PR of 12-6.75 in the indoor vault, which is nearly a foot higher than her high school best. Simpson’s natural ability to leap over the bar has her sitting fifth all-time in the indoor vault, and sixth with an outdoor vault of 12-6.25 in the Rams’ record book.
“She is quite the competitor, but the best thing I see about Aliya is that she’s a great leader to our younger players,” former decathlete and volunteer assistant track coach Chris Helwick said. “When it’s crunch time, she always rises to the occasion and has become a reliable person when we need her most.”
I’m not too worried about breaking records. I want to go out on a good note, and most importantly, I’m trying to get closer with everyone here and set an example as a leader.CSU senior pole vaulter Aliya Simpson
With her time spent as a Ram, Simpson has only been focused on improving upon herself and creating meaningful relationships with her teammates. While striving to be her best and competing in every MW Championship throughout her career, Simpson had the chance to meet one of her best friends and mentors today, transfer student and senior Josie Spitz.
“I’ve always said that Aliya and I kind of balance each other out,” Spitz said. “She’s very calm and collective when competing, and a lot of times I’m not. We’re two different people who go really well together, especially when we need to pick each other up, and I don’t think I would’ve been able to finish my senior season without her.”
The relationships built through sports can last a lifetime, and Simpson is making sure she gets the most out of her last season by being the best version of herself.
“I’m not too worried about breaking records,” Simpson said. “I want to go out on a good note, and most importantly, I’m trying to get closer with everyone here and set an example as a leader.”
The Rams have five more events before heading to the MW Indoor Championships in late February, including a familiar Colorado Invitational where Simpson is looking to improve off of her first-place performance from last year.
“It’s all really preparation for the Mountain West Championships,” Simpson said. “Going over that bar and knowing I didn’t touch it is one of the most exciting feelings I get, because I know how hard I worked just to PR by a single inch, and it’s rewarding every time.”
With an impressive career steering toward an end and a bachelor’s in Marketing opening the doors for her future, Simpson has plans to make the most of her degree and stay in Colorado to get a job within the marketing industry.
“Whether she’s on the track or out in the real world, Aliya will be successful,” Helwick said. “She is a leader who competes for everything.”