Brooks hungry to bring home state championship

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Brett Brooks says he’s never had much of a sweet tooth.

Trick or treat candy usually went “to my little brother or aunt,” Brooks said. “I never liked candy and stuff.”

However, the Wilmington High School graduate has an appetite for success.

And he’ll get a chance to satisfy that Saturday afternoon in the OHSAA Division I Track and Field Championship just outside Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

The Hurricane thrower will compete in the state shot put and discus at Ohio State. He goes in the shot put at noon Saturday then 3 p.m. in the discus.

“I want to at least place in the top four in both and I want to win the discus,” he said.

Brooks went 51-9.75 last week in the Region 4 Track and Field Championship shot put. That puts him 14th based strictly on last week’s efforts.

There are four throwers at 56 feet or more, then the other 14 are between 50 and 56 feet.

Brooks has qualified for both the state wrestling and state track and field meets. He was eighth at 285 pounds in this year’s state wrestling tournament and finished eighth last season in the discus with a throw of 150-11.

At the Region 4 meet, Brooks finished on top of the field with a personal best of 163-9. Jakob Oldenburg of Solon had a throw of 172-4 last week and Jamell James of Austintown Fitch went 163-11. Brooks is next in line.

“I just have to make sure I’m hitting all my points in the ring correctly,” Brooks said. “Nine times out of 10 I can just do it naturally. I can throw with my eyes closed.”

Brooks bringing a state title back to 300 Richardson Place would match cousin Monica Howard and her state title from 2007. Monica and sister Ashley have offered advice to Brooks.

“When I started in track, they said they’d come out whenever they had time,” Brooks said. “One’s a coach and the other is in the Air Force, so they kinda split time when they come down here.”

Brooks said the best advice they’ve given has been to train hard and the right way, then let nature take its course.

“Trust the process they said,” Brooks remarked. “You’ll have your best days and you’ll have your worst days. You just have to trust the process.”

Brooks works at Dairy Queen on Rombach Avenue. In line with his disdain for sweets, Brooks doesn’t each a lot of ice cream.

“I’m lactose intolerant,” he said. “I still drink milk and I’ll eat it (ice cream) every now and then but I’m not big in to sweets.”

Working on the DQ grill, though, puts Brooks in close proximity to one of his favorites.

“If chicken ends up missing,” he said with a big smile. “It wasn’t me.”

https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2022/06/web1_TRF_2brooks0527.jpg

Wilmington High School graduate Brett Brooks will compete in the OHSAA Division I Track and Field Championship meet in both the shot put and discus Saturday in the shadow of Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at Ohio State University.
https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2022/06/web1_TRF_brooks0527.jpgWilmington High School graduate Brett Brooks will compete in the OHSAA Division I Track and Field Championship meet in both the shot put and discus Saturday in the shadow of Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at Ohio State University.
No sweet tooth but Brooks hungry to earn state title

By Mark Huber

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Reach Mark Huber at 937-556-5765, via email [email protected] or on Twitter @wnjsports

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