Lake Fong, Post-Gazette Caitlin Hewlett clears the bar this week at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association championship in Latrobe. Click photo for larger image.

It's a rarity for a standout pole vaulter to compete in the long jump and sprinting events in track and field. It's like Snoop Dogg giving a rendition of "God Bless America."

But Caitlin Hewitt is destroying the theory that vaulters only vault.

Hewitt is a sophomore at Latrobe High School ... call her a sophomore sensation. She competes in the pole vault, long jump, 100-meter dash, 200 and 400.

While competing in those five events is unusual, what really makes Hewitt rare is she excels in all events.

This spring, Hewitt has cleared 11 feet in the pole vault, the No. 1 mark in the WPIAL this year. She cleared 11-6 last season, fourth-best in WPIAL history. She also is No. 1 in the long jump, and her jump of 18 feet, 9¹*₂ inches at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association Championships Thursday was the third best in WPIAL history.

On top of that, Hewitt has the third-best time in the WPIAL this season in the 400 (58.4), the fourth-best in the 200 (25.5) and the 11th-best in the 100 (12.6). Her 200 time ties her for 25th best in WPIAL history.

Not only is Hewitt a jack-of-all trades, she's a master of them. No wonder Latrobe coach Andy Wnek had to pause when asked what is Hewitt's best event?

"That's tough to answer," Wnek said. "I would say ... well ... right now her best event is any one she wants to do."

For 25 years, Jim Faiella has been publishing the girls' track and field honor roll, a compilation of top times and marks in the WPIAL. He believes Hewitt is unique.

"There have been a few pole vaulters who have done a few other things, but this girl is so diverse," Faiella said. "What's really surprising is she was on Latrobe's cross-country team, too, and did fairly well. Diversity like that is really unusual."

But Hewitt's athletic ability is putting her in a quandary. At the WPIAL and PIAA championships, athletes are allowed to compete in four events. Besides the pole vault, long jump and individual running events, she also was a member of Latrobe's 1,600 relay team that set the school record.

"I did three running events last year and one jumping event," Hewitt said. "This year, I'll try to do two jumping and two running. I just have to use some strategy based on what time certain events are."

Hewitt believes one trait helps her succeed in all of her events.

"The key to long-jumping and pole-vaulting is speed," Hewitt said. "It's more important than everyone thinks in the long jump and pole vault. You have to have speed before you jump, and that's what helps me."

The pole vault is probably Hewitt's favorite event "just because it's so different than anything else," she said.

But the long jump might be her best. Her jump of 18-9 1/2 would have won the PIAA Class AAA title last year by 7 1/2 inches.

"I'm just finding out I'm more of a long jumper than I thought," Hewitt said.

The funny thing is Hewitt thought she would be a distance runner years ago. Her parents are avid distance runners, and Caitlin was running 5K races when she was 7. She tried track and field in seventh grade and found she had talent in a number of events.

But competing in so many events takes plenty of practice. Sometimes, Hewitt will practice with the varsity, then stay to practice with the junior high team.

"Sometimes, she's been at practice from 3 o'clock to 7," Wnek said.

On top of it all, Hewitt maintains a grade-point average close to 4.0.

Wnek said, "She's one of those athletes you just hope you get at some point in your coaching career."