Onekama’s Jaylee Brown breaks own school record in pole vault

Posted May 9, by Dylan Savela, News Advocate

BRETHREN — With the way the wind was whipping when she arrived, Jaylee Brown wasn’t planning on breaking any record — not even if it was her own.

The Onekama senior has been a pole vaulter, and all-around athlete, long enough to know that some things can’t be controlled.

“Oh my gosh,” she said of the windy West Michigan D League championship meet in Brethren on Wednesday. “I wasn’t really sure how it would go today (in the pole vault), because when we first got here, the wind was blowing really weird.”

But Brown persevered, not only by winning the event, but vaulting 10-foot-4 to eclipse the Onekama school record of 10-3 she set in her freshman campaign.

A flawless vault can be a mix of mostly talent and partly calm conditions. Poor weather and erratic winds aren’t friendly when propelling yourself in the air, but must be endured.

And Brown is not a stranger to setbacks.

After a successful freshman track and field campaign — one in which she set her previous record and was an All-State vaulter — Brown had to cut back drastically on her time at the track as a back injury plagued her sophomore and junior seasons.

“She’s had problems with it through the years,” said Jaylee’s mother and track coach Bonnie Brown. “She’s been to chiropractors, physical therapists and doctors who took X-rays.”

Brown took the past two seasons off from running hurdle events — in which she also excels — and treaded lightly through the regular season when it came to pole vault, though she still managed to qualify as an All-State athlete in the event both years.

Brown was slightly embarrassed when asked if she felt she could have broke her record sooner had the injury not set in.

“I don’t want to sound cocky or anything, but I’ve felt since I’ve been doing it for so long I should be up higher,” she said. “After getting better from the injury, I just had to push myself harder.”

It wasn’t until last summer when the Browns discovered a pair of stress fractures in Jaylee’s back.

“Nothing showed up until one doctor finally said she should have a bone scan,” Bonnie said. “It was broke in two places.”

Jaylee wore a brace all last summer to strengthen her back, and focus her energy on her senior season.

And for one perfect vault Wednesday, in the face weather, wind and the ghost of a nagging injury, Brown endured it all.

“I’m just so happy about it,” she said. “That was my goal for the whole year.”

Said Bonnie: “She’s worked so hard at that and never gave up. I’m proud of her as a coach. And as a mom, especially.”

Above sequence of 6 photos of Jaylee at Alma

by Terri Barto.   ~Another Record Broken!

   
   
     
 

www.onekama.k12.mi.us Serving Onekama School since 1997