High school athlete somersaults to track and field championship win
"I knew to just keep rolling," Brooklyn Anderson said.
It was a finish to remember for one high school athlete who somersaulted across the finish line at the Oregon School Activities Association State Track and Field Championships -- and came out on top, to boot.
Brooklyn Anderson somersaulted twice at the end of her 100m hurdles event last month, despite tripping on the last hurdle. The Thurston High School junior ended up winning the race in 14.93 seconds.
Brooklyn Anderson, a Thurston High School junior, came in first place in the 100m hurdles event at the OSAA State Track and Field Championships on May 31, 2025.
The NFHS Network via Storyful
Anderson's eye-catching move was caught on video by the NFHS Network on May 31.
The student-athlete initially started in the fourth lane, alongside the rest of the group, but started peeling away from the pack within seven seconds. After knocking the last hurdle, Anderson didn't slow down and swiftly transitioned into two somersaults as she crossed the finish line.
"All I remember is resorting back to my gymnastics career and just somersaulting over that line," Anderson said in an interview after the race, Oregon Live reported. "I wasn't sure how far back everybody else was behind me, so I knew to just keep rolling, to keep going, because I really wanted to get first."
