No one finished last track season with a bigger splash than Thurston's Brooklyn Anderson, who became an internet sensation after double-somersaulting over the finish line to win the 5A title in the 100-meter hurdles.
This year, as a senior, the Portland State-bound Anderson is looking to end her high school career in style. She recorded a personal-best of 14.12 seconds in the 100 hurdles on April 18, vaulting her to No. 4 on the state's all-time list.
Colts coach John Gillespie said Anderson was on her way to a big PR in the state finals before she tripped near the end of the race, forcing her to do a double-somersault and finish in 14.90.
“She was ready to run a good time last year, and then just didn't get the chance,” Gillespie said of Anderson, who set a PR of 14.45 in state prelims. “Now she's coming along. She's more confident getting out of the blocks and getting going. She hasn't really had a good chance with warm weather and a wind behind her.”
In state history, Anderson ranks behind only Lincoln's Bianca Mathabane (13.57, 2006), Oregon City's Harley Daniel (13.95, 2022) and Tualatin's Campbell Brintnall (13.98, 2025).
“The big goal right now is starting with a 13,” Gillespie said. “That is a way good enough goal for her. And that will happen.”
In the Oregon Relays at Hayward Field early this month, Anderson ran a wind-aided 14.37 in prelims and clocked 14.38 in the finals. She placed fourth behind three out-of-state runners.
“I thought it was great because the weather wasn't that great for that,” Gillespie said. “She took on the best. There were a lot of good people. She probably wasn't quite ready to run against people that good.”
Gillespie, who coached South Eugene's boys to four consecutive team titles (1979-82) before assisting at Oregon for 16 years, discovered Anderson while working as a substitute teacher at Thurston three years ago. Up until her freshman year, Anderson had competed in gymnastics but not in track.
“I overheard somebody talking about gymnastics, and I went over and talked to her,” Gillespie said. “I had to convince her to just try track a little bit. And she did.”
As a freshman, Anderson placed third at state in the 100 and ran a leg on the state-champion 4x400 relay. As a sophomore, she was unable to compete in the hurdles because of shin splints, but was state runner-up in the 100 and took seventh in the 200.
Anderson broke out in a big way as a junior. She not only won a state title in the hurdles, but she placed third in the long jump and fourth in the 100.
Gillespie – who coaches Thurston's sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers along with his son, K.C., the Colts' head boys coach – said Anderson is a natural in the hurdles.
“She's really flexible, so she gets around the hurdle really well,” he said. “She's relaxed. She doesn't let pressure bother her. Obviously, anyone that's been in gymnastics doesn't let pressure bother them at all. And she's really competitive. She doesn't just try to win, she tries to do her best whenever she's doing things.”
Gillespie believes Anderson is on a brink of a breakthrough in the long jump. She hit a personal-best 18 feet, 5 ¼ inches in the team's second meet, beating her PR of 18-5 from last year. She could become the 26th girl in state history to reach 19-0.
“She's running down the runway better,” Gillespie said. “This winter, I finally got her to get up in the air. She's starting to jump with it. I think 19 feet is there. It's just a matter of the right situation.”
Lincoln to No. 3 in 800
Lincoln junior Ellery Lincoln, who set the state record in the 3,000 on April 8, made a dramatic rise in the 800 list with her performance in the Sunset Team Challenge on April 17.
Lincoln finished in 2:05.21 to move to No. 3 all-time behind Springfield's Maria Mutola (1:57.63, 1991) and Crescent Valley's Leann Warren (2:03.02, 1979). Lincoln's previous best of 2:09.85, set in 2024, had ranked No. 16.
It was the first 800 of the season for Lincoln, the 6A cross country champion. She had the top 800 prelim time in the 6A meet last year but withdrew from the finals due to illness.
400 showdown
Two of the state's top boy sprinters squared off in the 400 in the Willamette Falls Invitational on April 18 at Oregon City's Pioneer Memorial Stadium.
Aloha senior Julian Palm finished in 47.95 to beat Oregon City junior Colin Smith, who clocked 48.51. They hold the state's two best times in the 400 this season.
Last year, Smith (47.81) and Palm (47.84) had the state's No. 2 and No. 3 times in the 400, respectively. In the 6A meet, Smith was runner-up and Palm did not make the finals.
Smith leads the state in the 200 this season at 21.37.
jerryu@osaa.org
Subscribe
