PJ Brown Article (Arkansas)

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Brown making final vault at NCAA Championships


Brown
By JEFF McNIELL ~ Assistant Sports Editor
When P.J. Brown takes to the air today, he'll say goodbye to 11 years of competitive pole vaulting.

And his career couldn't end at a better - or higher - place.

In his fifth and final year at the University of Arkansas, Brown will compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the first time in his long and successful career.

Brown already has four national championship rings with the Razorbacks - again the nation's top-ranked team and heavily favored to make it three straight outdoor titles. But this is the first time he will compete in his sport's top event, which began this morning in Sacramento, Calif.

"It's going to be my last track meet I compete in ever, so there's no better way to go," said Brown, a 2000 Poplar Bluff graduate and three-time All-SEC selection. "In the years past I've barely missed out by just a matter of inches. To get there and know I'll be contributing, that's a special feeling."

Brown, who finished second at the Mideast Regional Championships on May 31, was one of 13 Razorbacks to automatically qualify. Four others received at-large bids.

He follows Laddie Stovall (long jump) and Gene Hansbrough (high jump) as only the third Poplar Bluff native to compete at the NCAA Championships.

"It's a great feeling to go and be a part of winning national championships," Brown said. "I've been here for 37, 38, 39, 40 and hopefully 41."

Brown, who began his remarkable career with two Missouri state titles, just missed qualifying last year when he finished seventh at the Regionals. But in his final season after being granted a medical redshirt for missing part of his junior season, Brown, who already graduated with a degree in kinesiology, made up for the near-miss.

Despite being the shortest pole vaulter in Division I, the 5-foot-6 Brown overcame crosswinds to vault 16-7.25 to finish second and qualify for his first national appearance. He was tied for fifth entering the meet.

"I was thrilled to get a spot to the nationals," Brown said. "Even though I only jumped 16-7, I did what I had to do that day just to get to the next level and that's what those meets are all about."

Ranked 24th of 27 national qualifiers, Brown knows he'll need a vault close to his personal-best 17-6 at the NCAA Championships. His top height this season was 17-1 at the Mt. SAC Relays in mid April.

BYU's Robison Pratt is the nation's top-ranked pole vaulter at 18-5.

"If I can go and jump somewhere near my personal best - 17-3 to 17-4, 5 or 6 - I think I'll be sitting pretty good," Brown said. "A lot of that depends on what attempt you make that on. I know if I can get that jump on a first or second attempt, I'll definitely be sitting pretty good in the competition.

"But it's such an inconsistent event. You can't ever tell how it goes until you get to that bar."

Ironically, Brown's collegiate career will end in the same city his high school one concluded. After winning the 2000 Missouri state title - and setting a new state record in the process - Brown finished second at the Golden West Invitational, the nation's premier amateur track and field event.

Brown said the realization of his career coming to an end has already began sinking in.

"That's really started hitting me these past several weeks," he said. "To know that I'm going to give it up, I'll miss being part of this Razorback tradition and the coaches, especially. I'll miss that part of it more than pole vaulting itself."

Although his days of competing will conclude, Brown will stay close to the sport. He'll be the new Mules track and field coach beginning next year.

"Anything I can do once I get back to Poplar Bluff to replicate the past five years at Arkansas, I definitely think that will help and make a difference," Brown said.

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Brown finishes in 10th

From Staff Reports
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- P.J. Brown finished his collegiate career Friday with a top 10 finish at the NCAA Championships and a shot at another ring.

The Arkansas senior cleared 16-feet, 10 3/4-inches with his second attempt in the final of the pole vault but missed All-American honors with three misses at 17-4 1/2 to finish tied with Fresno State's Russell Weaver for 10th.

"It's disappointing that two more places I could have scored a point but I'm happy where I ended up and things could have been a lot worse," Brown said.

Two other vaulters missed their three attempts at 17-4 1/2 but since they cleared 16-10 3/4 on their first run Nebraska's Ray Scotten and Mark Johnson of Coastal Carolina each picked up a half of a point for their team and finished eighth.

BYU's Robison Pratt missed his first attempt of the day but won the event with a vault of 18-1/2.

"I got nervous, but it made me more focused for the next attempt," Pratt said. "I managed to pull out a close second attempt and it got better throughout the day."

Heading into Saturday, the Razorbacks held a nine-point lead over Florida in their attempt at winning a third straight national title.

"Just being apart of this team and this meet, and hopefully a 41st national title, is good enough in itself," Brown said.

Ranked 24th of 27 competitors entering the competition, Brown was one of 13 vaulters to advance to the finals by clearing 16-5 and 16-10.75 without a miss on a rainy Wednesday.

Two nights later facing a cross wind, Brown was the first to make a run at the bar set at 16-10 3/4 but missed. Before his next jump, he watched the Arkansas 400-relay team win in near record time.

"I had my spirits down a little bit," Brown said. "That just kind of fired me up."

On his next attempt, Brown easily cleared the bar.

"I had some great attempts at (17-4 1/2), just couldn't get it to stay up," Brown said, won two state titles for Poplar Bluff and was recently named the Mules track coach next season.