Track and field athlete Alexis Paine’s 2013 outdoor resume does not pull any punches. Paine’s relentless assault on the school record books became an every-weekend affair, posting personal best after personal best on the pole vault. As effortless as she may make it seem, Paine’s overwhelming success wasn’t always assured.

A senior from Mobile, Ala., Paine formerly concentrated on the high jump with the Crimson Tide in her freshman and sophomore seasons. Though she did try her hand at pole vaulting during her early collegiate career, Paine experienced disadvantages from not having a proper coach for the event.

“I think I did the pole vault a total of 12 times my first two years here,” Paine said.

Before the 2012 season, however, a new track and field coaching regime took over at The University of Alabama. Paine’s pole-vaulting prosperity soon followed.

“We all knew there were going to be big changes,” Paine said. “He was known to be a top recruiter. We were all really excited, and a little scared.”

The newly established head coach Dan Waters brought with him an expert in pole vaulting, volunteer assistant coach Brad Smith. Smith, who was a top athlete at the University of Georgia, added more than 2 feet to Paine’s previous best in the pole vault in his first year at the Capstone.

“He knew what he was talking about when it came to the pole vault,” Paine said. “I didn’t, so I listened to what he said.”

Paine did more than listen. She set a career and school record at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships with a jump of 13 feet 11 inches and that was just the beginning of her record-breaking senior outing.

At the Yellow Jacket Invitational March 30 in Atlanta, Ga., Paine notched a 14-7 mark on the pole vault, a school record that still stands. A few more significant measurements, including a 14-2 April 13 in Athens, Ga., followed. On the biggest stage this season, however, Paine really showed up.

The 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships, held in Des Moines, Iowa, saw Paine top out at the pole vault with a 14-3 finish after clearing the first three heights. She finished fourth in the event, her best individual outing in the national competition.

“I was a little anxious on the third attempt,” Paine said. “I went in ranked tied for second [nationally], and I set myself up to peak at the right time.”

Days after her remarkable effort in Iowa, Paine received news that she received First-Team All-American honors for the second year in a row, the first woman to do so in the NCAA since 2008. A fourth-place finish in the SEC Outdoor Championships added another impressive accomplishment.

Though she graduated with a 4.0 GPA in May, Paine will still compete in the indoor season, which starts in January.