http://nwi.com/articles/2009/05/12/sports/top/docbe490c06e408d154862575b40001d66c.txt

BY PAUL OREN
Times Correspondent | Tuesday, May 12, 2009

TIMES FILE PHOTO Lake Central's Gianna Mirabelli finished third at last year's state finals in the pole vault with a mark of 12 feet, 0 inches. NWI Photo Store

VALPARAISO | When it came time to pick a college, Lake Central senior Gianna Mirabelli exercised the same meticulous preparation that she used to pole vault her way to a third-place finish at last year's state finals.

After careful consideration and several campus visits, Mirabelli has committed to Valparaiso, where she is set to earn the first track & field scholarship in the history of the women's program.

Crusader cross country runners have earned scholarships in the past and then run for the track team, but Mirabelli, a pole vaulter, will earn the distinction of becoming the first sole track & field athlete to get a scholarship when her National Letter of Intent becomes official later this week.

"Valparaiso is going to give me an extremely good education," Mirabelli said. "I love the coaching staff and coach James (Overbo), the jump coach has come to see me vault. We get along good and I think we're going to make a good team."

Mirabelli picked the Crusaders over North Carolina, Purdue, Indiana and Cornell.

Valparaiso coach Ryan Moore is unable to comment on Mirabelli until the letter of intent goes through the NCAA, but that didn't stop Gianna's mother, Gina Mirabelli, from praising Valparaiso on Monday.

"I think Valpo is Indiana's great little secret," Gina said. "We visited a lot of schools and in terms of education, we put Valparaiso together with the Ivy League schools."