Rachel Finn admittedly doesn't feel additional pressure to excel in the pole vault as her older sisters shine in the event at Liberty High School.

Instead, the junior continues to seek ways to extend a rich family tradition and lineage in the sport.

"I don't see it as pressure to do as well as my sisters," said the youngest of four sisters who have created their family name as a household one in Lehigh Valley high school pole vaulting. "It just makes me work a little bit harder to get as high marks as they did.

"There is no pressure, just motivation."

Enthusiasm, dedication, and motivation have been calling cards for the Finn girls through the years. Oldest sister Ashley, 28, who won a state medal in the 4 X 400, began the pole vault tradition. Sisters Rebekah and Sarah soon followed suit and their own legacies and odysseys began to evolve.

In many ways, it has been a true family affair.

"All of the girls have really worked hard and I am extremely proud of what they have accomplished," said Tom Finn, father of the four girls ranging in age 28 to 16. "They all have been very athletic since they were young.

"My oldest daughter (Ashley) who is now a podiatrist because of track, recommended her sisters for the pole vault to (former coach) Bill Ruth. That's how most of this got started."

Rebekah, who is 25, didn't have any initial indications to pole vault. Instead, she began running the 400, 800 and both relays involving those races as well as cross country. Her introduction to the sport was rather innocent.

"I was basically volunteered to do it," noted Rebekah. "But it quickly proved to be quite beneficial to me."

Rebekah jumped 9-4 as a freshman and then immediately elevated her game the following season with a fifth-place finish at indoor states and a second-place finish at outdoor states. Those places helped her continue to raise her game the next two years, as Rebekah continued to finish among the top two at both the indoor and outdoor events and she also cleared 12 feet during her junior year.

She then planned to continue her career at the University of South Florida, but her career suddenly plummeted further south than expected.

"I found out how good my coaches were at Liberty and (Bethlehem-based) Vertical Assault," said Rebekah. "I also discovered how spoiled I was at Liberty. There (South Florida) I felt like I was coaching myself.

"I wasn't happy and I need to come back home."

Rebekah returned to the Lehigh Valley and enrolled at Northampton Community College to finish some general education classes. From there, she transferred to Moravian College, where she began to pursue a career in religious studies and thought she had found a new flicker to her pole vaulting career.

However, Rebekah discovered her pole vaulting career began to fizzle despite having three years of eligibility left.

"I just hit the wall, and it didn't work out," said Rebekah, who didn't participate her senior year. "I didn't get to 12 feet there. I became more frustrated with everything as time went on that I knew it wasn't going to work.

"It became time to move on."

Still, Rebekah hasn't entirely lost touch with the sport. She and second-youngest Rachel recently have been working with the Liberty pole vaulters, one of them being youngest sister Sarah. Rebekah sees coaching as a viable option in the future.

"Coaching is very different than being an athlete, but I really enjoy giving back," said Rebekah. "It has been really special working with Sarah because she is probably the most talented athlete out of all of us.

"We have always been a close family and it has been fun watching my younger sisters compete."

Sarah, 22, took a different approach than her older sisters as she began pole vaulting in seventh grade. She excelled her freshman year, but Sarah stumbled her sophomore season in the pole vault mainly due to her form. Yet, she did make it to the indoor states during her sophomore and junior years for running events.

"I had a kind of a mental block," recalled Sarah. "I just couldn't get my steps down the whole season. I had good meets and bad meets. It was tough going into my junior year. During that time, it was a real battle for me all the way. But I keep battling to stay sane through it. I finally made a breakthrough heading into my senior year."

She made it to indoor states her senior year and then finished fifth at the outdoor states.

"That was really exciting for me," gushed Sarah. "I really struggled the two years prior to that. It was good to get back on track. It was just a matter of keep faith in myself and my abilities."

Since then, Sarah has obtained a degree from the culinary school at Northampton Community College and plans to pursue a degree in physical therapy at West Chester University in the fall. While here, she will join the track team in hopes of extending her pole vaulting career.

"I 'm excited about the new career," she stated. "I spoke to the coaches there (West Chester) and they weren't quite sure how much eligibility I would have left. But I have been doing spring work with my sister Rachel and I want to try and be as ready as possible. I know I'll probably be the oldest woman out there, but it will be fun."

While her older sisters have progressed and migrated in different directions, Rachel continues to diverse her talents. Rachel has been effective in not only the pole vault - she finished 12th at states this spring - but also the high jump and the 400 and 800 for Liberty. In addition, she is a diver for the swim team.

"I like to balance them both," said Rachel in reference to the two sports. "Diving is also important to me. Both of them involve a lot of concentration. It really helps me focus on what I have to do in life and I do like to keep busy.

'In keeping with the family, I do want to do well with my pole vaulting as it has been part of the family."

Another part of the family has been coach Mike Lawryk, who has been a motivator and teacher to all of the girls. Lawryk recently has been recognized as a National High School of the Year and has gained numerous national honors.

"He (Lawryk) has really saved us all at one point," said Rebekah. "He really knows all of the ins and outs of pole vaulting and he teaches like no other coach. He has been a real inspiration and friend to all of us."

Another constant among the Finn women has been a trusting and nurturing bond among them through the sport of pole vaulting.

"We have all grown together and individually because of the sport," said Rebekah. "It (pole vaulting) has helped us along the way and in the direction of our lives. Through it all, though, we're still a close family."