By Kate Scriven
Brooke Feldmeier, a junior at Tumwater High School, is fast. State record holder kind of fast. And when she runs one of her events – the 200 meter, the 400 meter or the 100 meter hurdles – don’t blink. She’s at the finish line in a matter of seconds.
Holding six Tumwater High School records and breaking league and meet records at each meet this year, Feldmeier consistently shows that she is a force to be reckoned with. To give you a little perspective on how fast she is, at the 2A Evergreen Conference Finals on May 10, she logged a 100m hurdle finish of 14.99 seconds and a 200m time of 25.02 seconds, shaving .23 seconds off both of the previous weeks’ times. Her 400m time at the May 17 District Championship was 55.18 seconds, a personal best, putting her first in Washington State and #12 in the Nation.
With faster times each week, Feldmeier’s goal of winning the State titles for the 200m, 400m, and 100m hurdles are very realistic. While she excels in her running events with Tumwater’s track team, her real passion lies in an event that isn’t even competitive at the high school level until the state finals – heptathlon.
Many people are familiar with the ten-event men’s decathlon from watching the Olympic Games. The lesser known women’s heptathlon consists of seven events spread over two days of competition. Day one starts with the 100 meter hurdles, followed by high jump, shot put and ending with the 200 meter sprint. Day two begins with the long jump followed by the javelin and ending with the brutal 800 meter run. What does Feldmeier love most about it? “I love knowing that just because I don’t win this race, doesn’t mean I don’t win overall. I never get bored…there is so much variety, so much to learn. It’s just fun.”
Feldmeier’s interest in multi-event competition began at age eleven when she joined the Barron Park Striders, a local track and field club. After showing early talent with Striders and medaling at her first Nationals appearance in Omaha, Nebraska in 2008 she was hooked. “Track has been my passion ever since,” states Feldmeier.
Strider’s founder and coach Drew Stevick saw Feldmeier’s talent, and versatility, early. “Drew told me,” recalls Feldmeier, “‘there is always someone who can run faster than you. There is always someone who jumps higher than you or throws farther than you. So, if you can be good at all of them, you’ll be a great multi-eventer.'”
Proving her coach right, Feldmeier was the 2012 State Champion in the heptathlon, an honor she intends to keep again this year. And just like her regular season with THS, the heptathlon isn’t part of the WIAA State Track and Field Championship. Multi-event athletes compete one week later, at the Washington State Combined Events Championship.
While Feldmeier sites Stevick’s influence as key to her path as a multi-event athlete, Stevick is quick to site her family’s strong support and appropriate perspective on sports as one of her biggest assets. “Brooke is blessed with physical talent, but more than that, she is blessed with an amazing family to help keep it all in balance. She is incredibly teachable and hardworking, training throughout the off season, which really gives her an edge,” says her coach.
The Feldmeier family, Tumwater residents since before Brooke was born, is very close. Her mother, Deanna, volunteers at most of her meets, helping with warm-ups or recording times. Older brother Jace, 20, is also athletic, playing baseball at Olympic College in Bremerton for the last two years. Her dad, Jerry, is amazed by his daughter and supports her drive and determination.
As her senior year draws closer, the inevitable question is, “what’s next?” For Feldmeier, the answer is easy. Despite recruitments from NCAA schools around the country, she is set on attending one of our nation’s service academies, formally visiting both West Point and the Naval Academy next year.
Deanna Feldmeier is understandably nervous about sending her youngest child across the country. So, for Easter, she bought two plane tickets to the Army-Navy track meet in Annapolis. “I wouldn’t send her to either place without seeing the coaching and the teams.” While there, Feldmeier watched the meet, chatted with the athletes and even stayed the night with the Navy team in the dorms.
When asked why she’s choosing a service academy, Feldmeier doesn’t hesitate. “I do really well with structure and I know the education is top-notch. I’ve seen the Naval Academy and had a great feeling there. Their facility is amazing and they compete at a Division 1 level. And, you are guaranteed a job afterward. So many college students graduate and don’t have anything. Who doesn’t want to come out as an officer?”
Every year, the Naval academy has a Summer Seminar. Over 10,000 kids apply and just over 2500 are admitted. This summer, Feldmeier is among that small group. June 15th she begins her week-long experience of what life at the Naval Academy is like. She can’t wait.
And the rest of us can’t wait to see what this talented, driven and articulate young woman will do next. First on her agenda? Winning State on May 24. Good Luck, Brooke.
