By Rubin E. Grant
It didn’t take long for Mountain Brook junior Annie Kerr to become a record-setting pole vaulter.
As a home schooler, Kerr competed in gymnastics. But when she began attending Mountain Brook Junior High in the eighth grade, she decided to give up gymnastics. The school’s track coach, Randy Stephens, suggested she take up pole vaulting.
“I was kind of like skeptical,” Kerr said, “but I started doing it and liking it. Since I had done gymnastics, I was used to being upside down and flipping. It probably took me six months to a year to get used to the pole, though.”
Once she did, Kerr began excelling, especially this year, just her fourth year competing in the sport.
Going into the 2024 AHSAA State Indoor Track and Field Championship last weekend at the Birmingham CrossPlex, Kerr already had cleared the Class 6A indoor state-meet record height (12 feet, 3 inches) during the regular season when she soared 12-09 at the Hump Day Octameet on Jan. 10.
Then last Friday morning, she won the Class 6A pole vault with a 13-foot clearance. Homewood’s Brooke Walden set the previous record (12-03) while winning the 2023 indoor title.
“I was pretty confident I could do it,” Kerr said. “Throughout the season I’ve tried to stay consistent. Once I got to 12-6, I was ready to keep going.
“I wasn’t nervous. I just told myself whatever happens, happens, so I was able to enjoy it.
“It was a really cool day and I got to experience it with my team.”
Kerr moved to her next quest of setting the CrossPlex girls pole vault record (13-02.50) set by Margaret Ollinger in a regular season meet in 2015, but Kerr had three close misses at 13-03.
Kerr’s performance was one of several for the Spartans, which posted 94 points to win the Class 6A girls title. St. Paul’s Episcopal finished second with 74 points. Now both programs are tied for state titles, each earning a state-record 23 state titles overall. Homewood was third with 42 points.
Mountain Brook’s Lucy Benton won the 800-meter run with a winning time of 2:14.14, and teammate Mary Katherine Malone was second, clocking 2:17.10.
“It was really cool to win my absolute favorite event,” Benton said. “It was a great way to go out in my last state indoor meet. And it was exciting being out there all day with my best friends in the world.”
Benton, who is headed to Baylor University to compete in college, finished second in the 400 meters, clocking 59.10. Malone won the 1,600 meters in 5:01.40 and was second in the 3,200 meters in 11:06.43. Kennedy Malone was third in 3,200 in 11:17.00.
The Spartans finished first in the 4×800 relay with a time of 9:48.81 and second in the 4×400, clocking 4:06.27.
Homewood’s Emma Brooke Levering ran a personal best 10:50.53 in the 3,200 meters to take first place. She also finished second in the 1,600 meters in 5:02.41 and fourth in the 800 meters in 2:18.98.
The Patriots’ Madeline Alford was third in the 400 meters with a time of 1:00.17.
With its indoor title and its cross-country title in the fall, Mountain Brook needs to win the outdoor meet in the spring to complete its second consecutive triple crown.
“That would be really cool,” Benton said. “We have a great team atmosphere and everyone is really driven, and we have fun doing what we do.”
Homewood Boys Finish Second
The Homewood boys finished second in Class 6A with 52.5 points. Northridge won with 82 points and Mountain Brook tied Oxford for third with 45 points each.
The Patriots won the 4×400 relay, clocking 3:26.19. Homewood senior Slate Rohrer was second in the 60-meter hurdles with the time of 8.19 and senior teammate Elliott Allen finished third in the pole vault, clearing 13-06.00.
Mountain Brook junior Jack Chapman clocked a personal best time of 1:56.49 to beat runner-up Charles Perry of UMS-Wright by a hiccup to claim the 400-meter dash title. Perry crossed at 1:56.52.
The Spartans finished first in the 4×800 in 8:08.41 and second in the 4×400 in 3:29.45.
Altamont Girls Place Third
Altamont finished third in the Class 1A-3A girls competition with 70.5 points. Houston Academy won with 117 points and Montgomery Academy was second with 72 points.
Altamont’s Merritt Fulmer won the pole vault, clearing 10-01.00 and Talia Floyd won the triple jump with a leap of 34-02.75. The Knights finished first in the 4×800 relay in 10:41.32 and second in the 4×400 in 4:28.05.
Indian Springs junior Catherine Hinson won the Class 1A-3A 1,600 meters with a time of 5:29.82.
