St. Joseph Christian's Brooklyn Miller breaks record, wins district golds
May 9—Brooklyn Miller not only had four top three finishes at the Class 1 District 8 track meet Saturday at St. Joseph Christian, but also broke a school record in the process.
With a 49.77-second finish, the SJCS senior broke the 300-meter hurdles record for the third time this season in just her fourth time competing in the event.
"I was just thinking, 'Do not crash,' because I'm top four it if I don't crash," Miller said. "I actually (set a personal record), too. I was really happy about that."
St. Joseph Christian head track and field coach Lisa Olson added, "For her to come out the way she did today, and she broke the school record again today in 300 hurdles, that was amazing."
Miller added the 300 and shot put in her final season with the Lions ahead of joining the University of Nebraska track and field team after graduation.
"For college next year, hopefully I am wanting to go as a heptathlete. So I need a hurdling and I need that shot put. So getting those ready early before colleges why I'm doing that," Miller said. "I'm not the typical build for shot putter. So it's kind of intimidating to go and see those girls that can throw it crazy, but just knowing that I can hold my own is what's gotten me through that."
Her district performances send her to next week's Class 1 sectional round as the senior finished top three in all four of her events. Miller brought home gold in the high jump and javelin, placed second in 300 hurdles and earned third in shot put.
Miller won the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 5 inches. She took the crown in the javelin with a throw of 124-07, winning the event by 15 feet.
"Doing four events each, it's been hard to keep all of them consistently, you know, getting a place," Miller said. "Being able to get top four in order to move on was really big for me."
A state runner-up in the high jump as a freshman, Miller followed that up in her sophomore season in 2019 by becoming the Class 1 state champion in the high jump and finishing as a runner-up in the javelin.
Olson believes Miller's continued success is a result of her caliber.
"When Brooklyn is under pressure like she was today, and knew she needed to compete today, she always knows how to go to that next level and compete and make it happen," Olson said.
The district champion will look to add even more to her flourishing high school career in sectionals, with high hopes for the future.
"Of course, I want to maintain my state champion in the high jump, but I really hope to get that first place title in the javelin and place in my other two events as well and maybe even get a plaque as a team for our girls," Miller said.
The Class 1 sectional is scheduled for May 15 at Lafayette County.
Class 1 District 8 results
The Mound City boys and Platte Valley girls came away with team titles at St. Joseph Christian. Mound City finished seven points ahead of Worth County, while Platte Valley finished 23 points ahead of the field.
The Panthers boys won the 4x800 before senior Landon Poppa outlasted St. Joseph Christian's Landon Swavey by five-hundredths of a second to win the 100 in 11.55 seconds. Poppa was also part of wins in the 4x2 and 4x4 while winning the 200.
Swavey won the 400, ahead of Bishop LeBlond's Hayden Cross.
West Nodaway's pair of Tyler Blay and Riley Blay finished 1-2 in the 3200 and 1600.
On the girls side, North Andrew's Jaclyn Riedinger won the 3200 and 1600. St. Joseph Christian's Charlee Stanley advanced by finishing second in the 400.
Platte Valley won the 4x2 and 4x1, which East Atchison won the 4x4 and 4x8.
Class 2 District 8 results
West Platte swept the team titles as the host school.
The Blue Jays boys were led by Quinn O'Malley's golds in the 100, 200, 400 and long jump.
Mid-Buchanan won the 4x2 and 4x4 while Reese McClurg claiming high jump gold. East Buchanan's Cru Conaway won the triple jump.
On the girls side, East Buchanan's Emma Klein claimed gold in the long jump and triple jump. Lathrop's performed well in field events with Josie Wright (high jump), Arissa Jackson (pole vault, javelin) and Avery Clay (shot put) winning their events.
Class 2 Sectional 4 is scheduled for May 15 at Lafayette County.
Micaela Dea can be reached at micaela.dea@newspressnow.com.
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