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Brink Vaults To Title

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 27, 2008

For Ridgewood's Keari Brink, the question was never about talent. The county's best girls pole vaulter all year, she broke the Rams' school record and won every event she competed in prior to the Class 3A state finals May 2.

But there was one lingering doubt about Brink heading into that Friday afternoon at Showalter Field in Winter Park: she had never been in this position before. It was the senior's first state meet, and coupled with her top seeding against a talented field, the expectations were higher and the pressure more daunting than any bar she had ever cleared.

Well, maybe except the last one.

Forced to vault 11 feet on her final attempt to either win a state title or finish third, a height she had never cleared before in competition, Brink knew what she had done before she even hit the ground. She hoisted her arms after a flawless vault in celebration of Ridgewood's first state title in the event.

"I was overwhelmed with joy," Brink said of the winning moment. "At first, I thought this was a dream - it wasn't happening. Then - reality check. I was so happy.

"It took four years, but it happened."

Longtime Rams coach John Herig was perhaps even more excited, shouting "Yes, yes, yes" from the stands as Brink cleared the height. It was the culmination of a long journey for Herig, who had qualified 17 vaulters for state in 16 years of coaching, but never a state champion until that moment.

"I've had twos, threes, fours, fives all the way down to 16s in the years I've been doing it," he said, "but she's the first state champion."

Both Herig and Brink knew 11 feet was possible, even though her best performance in a meet had been 10-7. She'd done it "numerous" times in practice, even clearing 11-6 in the week leading up to the meet, but failed to clear the height in her first two attempts that day.

Brink's historic vault led to her being named the Tribune's Girls Track Athlete of the Year later in the month. She was also the third state champion Pasco County had produced in 2008, joining Pasco wrestler Eric Stroud and the Land O' Lakes cheer team.

No other Pasco County athlete finished in the top three in the state finals, through Mitchell's Caitlin Young was fourth in the Class 4A girls high jump. Land O' Lakes distance runner Felix Soto was a top-10 finisher in both the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs.

STAY OR GO?

Still reeling from a 9-6 loss to Palatka in the Class 4A-Region 3 baseball final May 3, Pasco nearly lost its coach as well, turning a humbling afternoon into something bizarre.

After the defeat, Pirates coach Ricky Giles told reporters that, "After 15 years, I'm just going to let someone else have it. I think I'm worn out."

But 30 minutes later, Pasco athletic director Jim Ward told reporters Giles had changed his mind.

"We had talked to some of the kids after the game and I just realized I couldn't walk away right now," Giles said.

WINS, AWARDS FOR LIONS

Led by Sunshine State Conference softball player of the year Ashley Urbanik, nationally ranked Saint Leo defeated Valdosta State and West Florida in the NCAA II South Regional before back-to-back losses to Barry and Tampa concluded its season.

Urbanik allowed only four hits with 11 strikeouts in 15 innings in the Lions' postseason wins. She went on to finish the year with a 27-10 record, 1.04 ERA and 259 strikeouts in 2351/3 innings. As a hitter she had 14 homers and 44 RBIs to go with a .306 average.

Later in the month, Urbanik would be named to the Daktronics Division II All-American second team, among other accolades. She plans to return for her senior season in 2009.

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