Brookses raise the bar

If you look through results from recent state track and field meets, it’s likely that an athlete with the last name Brooks has vied for the Class 6A pole vault title. 

Siblings Eli and Alex Brooks are high-flying standouts on the Homewood High School track and field team. 

Eli, a senior, won the 6A boys pole vault competition at the 2018 state indoor meet and has finished runner-up two other times. Alex, a junior, won the 6A girls competition at the 2018 and 2019 state indoor meets, along with the 2018 state outdoor meet. 

“They’re two kids that make you thankful to be doing this. I mean, that’s for sure,” Patriots head coach Tom Esslinger said. “They make it fun to come to work every day.”

Esslinger and assistant coach Josh Donaldson have coached both Brooks siblings throughout their prep careers. 

Eli and Alex began pole vaulting in middle school after watching their cousin, former Hoover athlete Eva Thomas, excel in the event. But it took them a little while to get the hang of it. 

“You definitely have to be not scared to take up a challenge, because you’re running full speed and then you just stop,” Alex said, “and so you’ve got to be confident enough that you’re going to do that.”

The objective of pole vaulting is to launch oneself over a bar that sits about two stories high. Success in the event requires speed, strength, gymnastic ability and a fearless mindset. 

“It’s unbelievable how much of a mental sport it is,” Eli said. 

Fear of flight hasn’t been a barrier. 

Ever since his freshman year, when he experienced his first major breakthrough, Eli has progressed steadily. He captured his state title with a clearance of 13 feet and has since cleared 14 feet, which tied the school record. 

 “Watching Eli compete, it’s a lot of fun, but it’s also nerve-wracking for me, I guess,” Alex said, “because I really want him to make it.” 

Alex transformed from a good pole vaulter into one of the state’s best as a sophomore. She won the 2018 state indoor meet with a vault of 10-7 and hasn’t looked back. In April, she posted a new personal-best — and school record — of 12 feet. 

“If she’s going for a new PR, our whole team comes over there and we’re all watching and cheering,” Eli said. “It’s a fun time.” 

The Brookses’ success hasn’t come easy. Rather, they’ve worked their way to the top. Pole vault has become an almost year-round activity for the siblings, with the high school season running from December to May and the club season spanning the summer. 

“To watch them improve over the years... it’s kind of the perfect example of people who do it the right way, and the results show that,” Esslinger said. 

Eli and Alex’s individual triumphs have helped keep Homewood at the top of its game. The Patriot boys have won the past three state championships, between indoor and outdoor, while the girls have captured the past three state indoor championships and the past five state outdoor championships.

At the upcoming state outdoor meet, held May 2-4 in Gulf Shores, the Brookses will again contend for another set of gold medals. It will be one of Eli’s last high school meets before he departs for Lee University, where he will compete on the Flames track and field team. 

Alex still has another year to go at Homewood. On the horizon, higher heights await.

“You know it clicks when it clicks,” she said of her signature event. “It took a long time, but I finally got it.”

This story was updated on April 24 at 5:15 p.m.