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Seton Keough’s Erin Brooks leads the third-ranked Gators against a field headlined by top-ranked McDonogh at the IAAM Championships next week.
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - When Seton Keough launched its girls indoor track and field program five years ago, the Gators didn’t score a point at the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland Championships. But then Erin Brooks arrived at the Baltimore private school, and things began to change.
As a freshman, the sprinter and jumper powered her team to a fourth-place finish, and a year later, the Gators placed second. Brooks completed the building process last spring, when conference titles in the 55-meter dash and triple jump and second-place finishes in the 300 and long jump accounted for 36 of her team’s points in a 145-129 victory over five-time defending champion McDonogh.
“I always try to stay confident, but I was skeptical about how everything was going to turn out,” said Brooks, who beat McDonogh athletes in both the 55-meter dash (7.17) and triple jump (36 feet, 11 inches). “Everyone on the team was nervous because we were so close to beating McDonogh. There was a lot of weight on my shoulders, but that helps me to push myself.”
Brooks’ accomplishments have motivated her teammates. When Brooks arrived, no Gator could run 55 meters in eight seconds. Now, six can. She’s also helped train the team’s jumpers, including Leila Forrester, who finished third in the triple jump at the IAAM Championships last year.
“Erin works really, really hard,” Seton Keough coach Jim Lancaster said. “She’s set the bar so high for the kids. They see the success she’s had, but she’s just another kid. So they watch that and they decide, ‘Hey, if Erin can do it, maybe I can do it, too.’”
Brooks, 17, who likely will compete for Princeton next year, is looking forward to college, where she’ll no longer be the fastest girl on the track — at least not as a freshman.
“It’s harder when you’re the one everyone else is trying to beat,” Brooks said. “It’s easier when you’re trying to beat everyone else because you work harder. Being on top, you still work hard, but you have nothing to strive for except for not getting caught.”
But right now, Brooks isn’t focused on her collegiate career. She’s staring at next week’s IAAM Championships, when she’ll lead the third-ranked Gators against a field headlined by top-ranked McDonogh at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Center in Landover Jan. 18. Seton Keough concludes its season Feb. 2 at the Private School State Championships at Georgetown Prep in Bethesda.
“Erin really does set the tone for the team,” Lancaster said. “There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it. She’s done that since her freshman year.”
mpeters@dcexaminer.com
