Alicia Essex Class: Senior Hometown: Purcellville, Va. High School: Loudoun Valley Height: 5-1 Position: Pole Vault

TENNESSEE:

2008: Was a point contributor in the pole vault for the second straight season at the SEC Indoor Championships...Produced a sixth-place finish by sailing over 12-10 1/4...Had a career-best vault of 12-11 3/4 to place second at the Tyson Invitational two weeks earlier...Also posted a runner-up showing at the Rod McCravy Memorial meet by clearing 12-7 1/2...Outdoors, she charted a pair of victories and qualified for the NCAA Mideast Regional for the first time...Collected wins at the Hurricane Challenge (11-11 3/4) and Georgia Invitational (12-7 1/2)...The height at the Georgia Invite, which matched her fourth-place mark at the earlier Pepsi Florida Relays, was an outdoor career best...At the Mideast Regional, she wound up 15th with a mark of 12-6...Garnered USTFCCCA All-Academic accolades and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll once again...2007: Scored at the conference level for the first time in her career, taking fifth at the SEC Indoor meet in Lexington, Ky....Did so with a clearance of 12-4 1/2...Notched her career indoor best at the Penn State National Invitational when she sailed over the bar at 12-8 to place third in that competition...Grabbed second at the Tyson Invitational by crossing the barrier at 12-6 3/4...Outdoors, Alicia saw action in five meets but successfully navigated a bar at only the Vanderbilt Invitational...Matched her outdoor personal record with a clearance of 11-11 3/4 en route to fourth place...Fared well in the classroom once again, earning a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll...2006: During the indoor season, Alicia competed in the pole vault in four meets, clearing a then-career-best height of 11-6 1/2 at the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark....Also had a successful vault over 11-1 3/4 at the Tennessee Indoor Classic that was good for second place...Alicia also participated in four meets during the outdoor season, saving her best-ever performance for the Southeastern Conference Championships...Her flight over 11-11 3/4 tied her for 10th at the league meet...Cleared 11-5 3/4 at the Knoxville Invitational to garner runner-up honors...Also posted a measurement of 10-11 3/4 at the Sea Ray Relays in Knoxville for her first outdoor mark of record as a Lady Volunteer...Stood 10th on UT's all-time performers lists, both indoors and outdoors.

HIGH SCHOOL:

Alicia competed in track & field and gymnastics for four years and in basketball one season...Served as team captain of the track and gymnastics squads for two campaigns...Was part of three district and regional championship-winning LVHS teams in gymnastics from 2002-04...Helped track claim a district trophy in 2004 as well...Was an all-state selection in both of those sports, taking seventh in the long jump as a senior and eighth in the all-around competition in gymnastics...Four-year member of all-district squads, Washington Post Loudoun All-Extra and Varsity Athlete Award winner in both sports...Was team MVP her final two years in track and a Washington Post Spotlight Athlete in addition to securing all-region distinction...Collected gymnastics MVP kudos as a senior and was honorable mention All-Metro...Swept 100m, 200m, 4x100m, long jump and triple jump at districts as a sophomore and junior...Other honors include getting the Dulles District Championship Award four times, being chosen for Virginia Nationals in gymnastics and winning the Gatorade Will To Win Athlete award from 2002-04...Prep career bests in track & field include 10-0 in the pole vault, 12.3 in the 100m, 25.9 in the 200m, 59 in the 400m, 17-1 in the long jump, 34-9 in the triple jump and 5-2 in the high jump...She was active outside of sports in the French Club, working with Loudoun Parks and Recreation and volunteering in charity events such as walk-a-thons...Also was class secretary as a senior and a member of the prom court in addition to being involved as a 2003 homecoming court member and escort in 2002.

PERSONAL:

Alicia is majoring in graphic design with an interest in advertising...She admires former Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci...Alicia Marie Essex was born on Feb. 9, 1986, in Gainesville, Fla....She is an only child...Her parents are Glenda Buxton and the late Paul Essex.