This story was originally published by Andrew Logue with the Des Moines Register.
A little Googling took Marine Vallet a long way.
The high jumper from France needed to complete a study-abroad program as part of her degree requirements for INSA Rennes.
So the materials engineering major did a little research and landed at Iowa State. She found the corresponding courses. She got along well with the coaches. And she figured a year in the United States would improve her English skills.
There was just one drawback:
“The thing that struck me was the weather,” Vallet said. “During the winter, when I saw a picture, I was like, ‘I’m not going to survive.’ “
Vallet is thriving in her initial season with the Cyclones, clearing 5 feet, 10 3/4 inches at a meet in April — the second-best leap in Iowa State history.
Sunday, she’ll be among the top challengers in the Big 12 Track and Field Championships, with the women’s high jump scheduled to begin at noon.
“I really hope I jump well this meet,” Vallet said. “I want to score and have a better mark than what I have right now.”
Big meets are nothing new.
Vallet, a former gymnast who switched sports in middle school, was France’s under-23 national champion and owns a personal-best jump of 6-feet.
“I ended up liking it, and it was not going very well with gymnastics at the time,” she said. “It was a good transition.”
As her education continued, Vallet juggled track and studies. When it came to choosing a school overseas, she took a leap of faith.
“It’s very complicated when you’re looking for a university, because there are so many,” Vallet said. “And when you’re in France, you have no idea which university is good.”
She worked with a couple of organizations that specialize in helping foreign students find a fit and briefly considered a couple schools in the south.
Vallet received a scholarship from the Cyclones, but wasn’t able to visit Ames before enrolling.
“I really wanted to continue being an athlete,” Vallet said. “So for me, the best option was to come to the U.S.”
Internet images were encouraging, despite a few snowy scenes.
“In France, we don’t have such cold weather,” Vallet said with a grin. “I was going to have to buy so many coats and so many layers.
“That’s what I did. And I made it.”
She would like to return for another season with the Cyclones, but again, it’s complicated. The main snag is trying to align credits at two universities.
Vallet, who speaks a little Spanish as well as French and English, also wonders about possibly competing on the professional level after graduating.
She’s represented France in international meets and began the weekend ranked among the top 30 U.S. collegians.
“I would like to manage both, being an engineer and at the same time a track career,” she said. “But right now, I can’t really say.”