BOSTON—A multi-sport athlete at Franklin High School, Jennifer Sing has taken her athletic prowess to new heights.

Sing, a senior at Virginia Military Institute, capped off her indoor pole vault career with a Big South Conference record jump of 12 feet, 10 inches and a third-place finish at the East Coast Athletic Championships in Boston.

The finish among 33 competitors was a relief for Sing, who didn’t clear the bar and received no score during the same competition last year.

“It was pretty exciting because I did bad last year,” she said. “I was just happy to clear the bar.”

Sing, who also competed in wrestling and cross-country before graduating from FHS in 2008, said her time on the tennis court, experience and upper-body strength as a gymnast was the best preparation for pole vaulting.

“Tennis built up my leg strength the most,” Sing said. “In tennis you’re constantly starting and stopping while going after the ball.”

As a tennis player, Sing was a four-time district singles champion for the Broncos and a three-time district doubles champion with partners Rebecca Stephenson in 2006 and Carrie Webber in 2007 and 2008.

Sing also holds three Region A doubles titles and two Region A singles titles. In 2008, she finished second in the Group A state tournament.

Sing will be commissioned as an ensign upon graduation and plans to attend pilot training. She is studying mechanical engineering.

Her father and the Franklin High girls’ tennis coach, Calvin Sing, credited the Franklin school system for her success.

“Jenni is a product of the Franklin City Public school system from elementary through high school,” he said. “The excellent teachers and coaches she had throughout her academic career also contributed to her success here in Franklin and laid the groundwork for her success at VMI. Without the earlier guidance, the road would’ve been much more difficult.”