Name: Jessica Brewer
Personal bests: PV: 12'0"
Academic interests: Computer Science/Computer forensics
Hobbies: hanging out with friends, reading, listening to music, and walking my dog
Favorite quote: "She believed she could, so she did." "The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there."
How did you get involved in the sport?
I started track in middle school after competing in gymnastics for most of my life. When I got to high school, I discovered pole vaulting and thought I could combine track and gymnastics to be a successful vaulter.
From your success in 2016, what do you hope to do this season coming up?
As a runner-up at state championships last year, I am hoping to win a state title this year and to break my personal record and clear 12'6."
Girls pole vault rankings
Do you have a specific motivation?
My specific motivations are to always do my best, meet my personal goals, and the idea of continuing my pole vaulting career in college.
What has been your biggest challenge in the sport?
My biggest challenge in pole vaulting is getting over mental barriers and believing in myself. Once I do something once, I will do it again, but doing something new for the first time has always been a challenge for me.
What do you hope to achieve in the future?
In the future, I hope to pole vault in college. I believe it would be a great opportunity to further my education, while also finding success in athletics.
What do you hope to achieve this weekend at Bob Jenkins SCTCCCA Coaches Classic?
At Bob Jenkins SCTCCCA Coaches Classic this weekend, I hope to meet my personal expectations and continue to work toward my goals.
Walk us through a competition for you (from pre until post event).
My coach, Brian Riggs, has helped me develop a routine to go through before every pole vault competition. I usually run, stretch, and do pole drops before each competition. After the meet, I try to figure out how I could have performed better and what I will do differently during the next competition.
How do you look at being top ranked in the state in the pole vault?
Since the beginning of my freshman year track season, I have been working towards my goal of being one of the top pole vaulters in the state. I am glad that my hard work is paying off, however I have many more personal goals to accomplish.
How and when do you start training for track and field?
Through KMR Athletics and Coach Riggs, I have the opportunity to practice year round.
What goes through you mind during each time you are competing in pole vault?
Each time I compete in pole vault, I try to pretend that I am just in practice. This allows me to calm my nerves and focus on the jump.
What do you enjoy the most about the Fort Mill team?
I enjoy competing with my teammates, especially my twin sister, Anna. Coach Ambrose and our other great coaches at Fort Mill run a great program and I am glad to have the opportunity to be a part of it.
What do you feel you have learned from your coaches, teammates and the sport?
My coaches, teammates, and the sport have taught me that there are many ups and downs in pole vault (pun intended), but if you keep pushing through, anything is possible.
What would like to see happen in the future in the sport?
In the future, I would like the see more girls getting involved in track, specifically pole vault. It is a great way to meet new friends and have fun while exercising.
Do you see yourself coaching in the future?
I do see myself coaching pole vault in the future. There are very few pole vault coaches and I think more kids would be pole vaulting if there were more people willing to share their knowledge of their prior pole vaulting experiences.
If there is one thing in the world you could do, what would it be and why?
If there is one thing in the world I could do, I would want to be able to go to all the different countries and be able to talk to everyone about their life experiences and beliefs. I feel like this would open up my eyes to the world around me and how we should accept our differences because no one has the same experiences.
