KNOTT TAKES POLE VAULT TITLE ON DAY 1

The wind whipping around the Gulf Shores Sportsplex Thursday took its toll on the field events. But it didn't faze Sophie Jane Knott. The Mountain Brook High School sophomore overcame the elements and overwhelmed the competition en route to the Class 7A girls pole vault title at the 4A-7A state outdoor track and field meet, held Thursday through Saturday. Storms delayed the start of the meet by three hours -- from 9 a.m. to noon -- and a band of afternoon showers forced another hour-long reprieve. Nevertheless, Knott posted a personal-best clearance of 11 feet, 3 inches, to win the first state individual championship of her career. "It's so exciting because I've worked so hard," Knott said. "I haven't jumped my best this season, and it just feels so good to finally PR." Knott tied her previous personal best (11 feet) to win the event, and then put icing on the cake by clearing the next bar. No other competitor vaulted higher than 10-6. Knott said that switching to a longer pole helped her reach the new height. Excitement also played a role. "I was just trying to go have fun, and it helped a lot," she said. Knott's breakthrough sparked the Mountain Brook girls track and field team on the first day of competition. Through seven events, the Lady Spartans occupy second place in the team standings with 23 points. James Clemens leads with 31. Knott wasn't the only Mountain Brook athlete to stand out in the field. Janie Branch shined as well. Branch, a senior, placed second in the girls discus competition with a hurl of 113-10. She released the medal-clinching throw on her final attempt. Branch had finished third at the state outdoor meet the past two seasons. Her fellow senior, Anna Grace Morgan, contributed the rest of her team's points. She crossed the finish line in 5 minutes, 1.38 seconds to claim a fourth-place finish in the 1,600-meter run. Morgan won the state cross-country championship this past fall and captured titles in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at the state indoor meet in February. Her best chance of securing one last individual gold medal will be Friday morning in the 3,200 meters. The Mountain Brook boys were unable to dent the scoreboard on Thursday, but that should change soon. The boys 4x800-meter relay enters Friday's race seeded among the top five.

KNOTT TAKES POLE VAULT TITLE ON DAY 1

Photo Credit: Sarah Finnegan