James Brooker
James Kent "Jim" Brooker (born August 12, 1902 in Cass City , Michigan , † September 25, 1973 in Bay City , Michigan) was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the pole vault . He was six feet tall and started for the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor .
Life
In 1923 Brooker came in the state championships with a height of 3.81 m in third place and was victorious in the college championships together with Earle McKown ; both athletes jumped 3.94 m.
In the following Olympic year of 1924 he could not place at the national championships, which Edwin Myers won, but qualified in the eliminations, which with a four-fold draw - James Brooker, Lee Barnes , Glenn Graham and Ralph Spearow jumped all 3.96 m - ended. In the final in Paris he couldn't quite come close to this height, but a skipped 3.90 m was enough to win the bronze medal just ahead of the Dane Henry Petersen , who mastered the same height. Gold and silver went to Brookers compatriots Lee Barnes and Glenn Graham with 3.95 m each.
Brooker made it into the top ten of the world's best list twice:
- 1923: 7th place with 3.93 m, achieved on June 2nd in Ann Arbor
- 1924: 7th place with 3.96 m, achieved on June 14th in Cambridge
His personal best of 3.97 m he achieved in an indoor competition on March 28, 1925 in Ann Arbor.
Web links
- James Brooker in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
- James Brooker in the database of trackfield.brinkster.net (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Brooker, James |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Brooker, James Kent; Brooker, Jim |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American athlete |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 12, 1902 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cass City , Michigan |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 25, 1973 |
| Place of death | Bay City , Michigan |