Click HERE to view Megan's video presentation and acceptance speech
North Central College’s legacy of success in a single event (pole vault) within a single sport (track and field) has few rivals anywhere in collegiate athletics, counting 18 individual national championships and more than 90 All-America awards between the men’s and women’s programs.
Among those who have helped to establish that standard of excellence is Megan Rossi ’07 Bremer, the first Cardinal pole vaulter to climb the awards stand as a national champion and the first All-American in the event in the history of the North Central women’s track and field program.
Bremer’s goals upon arriving on campus were much simpler, focusing purely on competing and improving. After a freshman year which saw her place third at the indoor national championships and fourth outdoors, her focus began to narrow.
“I always knew I wanted to keep running track and pole vaulting at the collegiate level,” she said. “I knew North Central had a good track program and pole vault was well-supported. It was a priority for me when choosing a college.
“When I first started, I just wanted to get better. I didn’t know what it meant to go to nationals. Very quickly, though, it became a goal to vault over 13 feet and get All-American at nationals every time.”
As a sophomore, Bremer entered the record books at the indoor national championships in Bloomington, Illinois, clearing four straight heights on the first attempt and winning North Central’s first pole vault title with a clearance of 12 feet, 3.50 inches.
“At the time, I had no idea I was the first,” she said. “I was just excited to win. Even if someone had explained it to me, I don’t think I would have understood what that meant. Now that I do understand, I still don’t think I realize the magnitude or importance of the accomplishment. I was really just excited to compete and do well.”
Bremer added a second title to her resume at the indoor championships in Terre Haute, Indiana as a senior, this time as the winner of a jump-off with Augustana College’s Meghan Voiland after both athletes established a new Division III Championship record with a clearance of 12’11.50.” Bremer closed her career with a second-place finish at the outdoor national championships, giving her a total of seven All-America plaques. She is one of 51 women in NCAA Division III’s 45-year history with seven All-America awards in a single event.
Also a four-time College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) indoor pole vault champion, Bremer graduated as North Central’s indoor (12’11.50”) and outdoor record holder (13’1.50”) in the pole vault, all the while keeping her focus on preparation rather than results. It is an approach to which she continues to adhere as a teacher, coach and parent.
“It’s extremely important to stay focused on the process as an athlete,” she says. “I coach athletes to have this mentality and do my best to apply it to my everyday life.
“As a teacher and coach, I find myself most often saying, ‘worry about you and the things you can control. If you do that, you’re bound to do your best.”
