FAYETTEVILLE -- Lexi Weeks knows she'll cap her freshman year at Arkansas by traveling a long way south to pole vault in another country.
The question for Weeks is whether she'll go 2,300 miles to San Salavador, El Salvador, or 5,300 miles to Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
Weeks has accepted an invitation to compete for the United States at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association meet in San Salavador on July 15-17. But she will change travel plans for Rio to compete in the Olympics in August if she qualifies at the U.S. track and field trials later this week.
"I've never been out of the country before, let alone for a track meet," said Weeks, who is from Cabot. "So it's going to be a great experience wherever I go."
Weeks, 19, naturally would prefer a trip to Rio, which she can book by finishing in the top three at the U.S. trials in Eugene, Ore. The pole vault qualifying round is Friday at Oregon's Hayward Field with the final Sunday.
"I'm just excited to be there at the trials," Weeks said. "It's surreal.
"I'm not going to put any pressure on myself to go out there and make the Olympic team. I think it would be absolutely incredible if I were to do it, but I just want to give it my best shot."
Her best shot has been good enough this year for Weeks. She became the first freshman to sweep the NCAA pole vault titles at the indoor and outdoor championships. She also swept the SEC indoor and outdoor titles.
Weeks came to Arkansas after setting the national high school record of 14 feet, 7 1/2 inches as a senior at Cabot and now has a personal-best clearance of 15-2 3/4 that ranks fifth among U.S. women vaulters and 18th in the world this year.
"I definitely have exceeded the expectations I had for myself," she said. "At the beginning of this year, I just wanted to go 15 feet. ... I was able to do that halfway through the indoor season, and I've done it several times since then.
"I just wanted to make it to the national meets. I had no idea I'd win both of them."
Weeks met the Olympic qualifying standard of 14-9 in her first meet at Arkansas in January.
"When Lexi jumped 14-9 right off the bat, that told you a lot about her right there," said Arkansas assistant Bryan Compton, who coaches the pole vault and other field events. "She's got a real good concept of the vault.
"We do different workouts than they do in high school and she adapted very well to do that. We've still got to clean up her run and her pole drops, but she has a really good connection with the pole.
"That's something she just naturally does and we don't want to change that."
Weeks said not getting overly nervous at the big meets has been a key for her success.
"When I just calm down and don't rush things, I'm able to do what I'm supposed to do," she said. "I've been able to push the nerves aside."
Competing at the U.S. trials this year wasn't something Weeks had given much thought before she started vaulting for the Razorbacks.
"Last year, all my classmates at Cabot were like, 'Oh, I can't wait to see you in the Olympics one day,' " Weeks said. "I was like, 'OK, whatever.'
"The 2020 Olympics is what were on my mind. I didn't think I'd even have a shot at this year's Olympics. I think it's crazy that I feel like I actually do.
"It's not a big chance that I'm going to go, but there is some chance. I had no idea a year ago this would be a possibility."
Track & Field News doesn't consider Weeks to be an Olympic long-shot.
The magazine, which has been covering the sport since 1948, projects Weeks to take third at the U.S. trials behind Jenn Suhr and former Razorback Sandi Weeks, who finished 1-2 at the World Indoor Championships this year.
Suhr, the Olympic goal medalist in 2012 and silver medalist in 2008, is the American record-holder outdoors at 16-2. Morris, who edged Suhr for this year's U.S. Indoor title, has a personal-best outdoors of 15-10.
Track & Field News projects Demi Payne -- who took third behind Morris and Suhr this year at the USA Indoor Championships and has an outdoor best of 16-0 3/4 -- to take fourth at the U.S. trials.
Payne hasn't competed since dislocating her left thumb April 3 at the Texas Relays, but Compton said he's watched her in recent practice video and expects her to vault well this week.
"I think Demi's ready to go," Compton said. "She should be in the top three favorites along with Jenn Suhr and Sandi.
"If any those top three struggle, then Lexi's right there in that next group that can grab a spot. Whatever happens, jumping at the trials is going to be great experience for Lexi for the rest of her career."
Morris, who said she's recovered from a fracture to her left wrist sustained during a meet in the Czech Republic on May 20, expects Weeks to do well at the trials after training with her this year.
"It's so amazing to see a kid that not only has the athletic ability to jump really high, but she has the passion and the drive to do it as well," Morris said. "I think there are so many kids out there who have so much talent, but they don't know how to utilize it or they don't care enough.
"Lexi's at the very beginning of her college career and she's already embracing the talent she's been blessed with. I think she definitely has a chance at making this Olympic team.
"She's jumped over 15 feet, and let's say she goes out and puts up that same bar on a first attempt. That might get her in the top three."
Weeks figures she needs to clear a personal-best by three or more inches to have a chance to make the Olympic team.
"I'm a newbie and I've never done this before at the trials, but I think it might take around 15-6," Weeks said. "We'll have to see."
Morris credited Compton with helping Weeks reach unexpected heights this year.
"She had a good base in high school, good training and good coaches. But this year I've watched her get so much more confident, and that's because of Coach Compton," Morris said. "He makes us tough as nails. He runs a tight ship and he whips us into shape.
"You have to be confident to vault for him. Lexi also puts in the hours. She comes to practice early and stays late."
Weeks said training with Morris has been a big plus, too.
"She's just so positive in every practice and pushes me in everything that we do," Weeks said. "It's incredible to train with someone of that caliber, who's one of the best pole vaulters in the world."
Weeks will be competing at the same Oregon venue where she won the NCAA title a month ago, but Compton has cautioned her the U.S. trials have a different feel.
"I told her, 'You're not going to be around all the little college girls now. You're going to be going against the pros,' " Compton said. "But she trains with Sandi, so I don't think she's going to let a lot of things faze her."
Sports on 07/05/2016