Stokke sideshow continues at state

In the past week, Newport Harbor High pole vaulter Allison Stokke has become one of the most discussed sports stories in the country.

It might have continued, but Stokke, 18, was saved from more attention thanks to Kobe Bryant’s version of Indecision 2007: Should I Stay or Should I Go, and the Ducks’ two-game lead in the Stanley Cup finals.

An article detailing Stokke’s feelings about her objectification made the front page of the Tuesday’s Washington Post. She was profiled in the Daily Pilot May 25.

Wednesday, she was a topic for discussion on FOX News’ “Live Desk,” hosted by Martha MacCallum. She’s granted an interview to CBS 2, and the Daily Express, a British newspaper, contacted the Daily Pilot in search of photographs of Stokke.

But today is when fans will see if she can muster the strength to beat Tori Anthony of Castilleja (Palo Alto), California’s top female high school pole vaulter.

Stokke, who is No. 2, told CBS 2 she believed she could get close to clearing 14 feet.

Anthony has cleared 13-10, and Stokke’s personal best this season has been 13-7.

After a disappointing finish (13-3 1/2 ) due to a measuring fiasco at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet in Norwalk last week, Stokke will attempt to vault herself to the top this weekend at the CIF State Meet in Sacramento.

Meanwhile, people can now purchase a photo of Stokke via the Orange County Register, which can be transferred to mugs (a 15-ounce mug goes for $16.95), ceramic tile, or a mousepad. A 14-inch framed photograph is $200.

Stokke’s unofficial fan site, AllisonStokke.com, has been shut down, and her photos have been replaced with an apology: “Sorry for having contributed to the unwanted attention, Allison. We think you’re a phenomenal athlete and wish you the best of luck in your academic and athletic endeavors.”

Stokke told the Washington Post she now tries to avoid leaving her house alone, and that she gets gawked at in coffee shops.

“Obviously, I’m not very happy about it, and if I could do something about it to stop it or slow it down a little bit, I’m going to do that,” Stokke told the Daily Pilot at the Masters Meet, where she won her event. “But the best I can do is look at the positive side.”

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or soraya.mcdonald@latimes.com.