Submitted photos – Eureka senior Ginny Brooks, center, alongside Cal Poly Humboldt head coach Sarah Ingram, left, and assistant coach Teigan Eilers at Wednesday’s letter signing.

By Ray Hamill — One of the top athletes in the H-DNL has committed her future to Cal Poly Humboldt after signing a letter of intent to compete for the Jacks in track and field.

Eureka High senior Ginny Brooks signed the letter in front of family and friends at Eureka High on Wednesday afternoon, opting to keep her talents here on the North Coast in a move that will be seen as a big boost for the Jacks program.

“She’s an incredible local athlete and a great student. She’s got so many things going for her,” Cal Poly head coach Sarah Ingram said. “And we’re just excited she took a chance on coming here on a recruiting visit and really saw what we could offer her.”

Brooks jumped at the opportunity.

“I went on a visit and that’s what really sold it for me,” she said. “I really liked the coaches and the environment and it seems like they have a really good hurdles program.”

After seeing her freshmen season canceled because of the pandemic, the Loggers senior has dominated at local meets over the past two seasons, winning seven league championships in her maximum eight events in that time.

She is a two-time league champion in both hurdles races, as well as in the long jump, and also was a part of the Loggers 4×100 meter relay team that won a league title in her sophomore season.

More impressively, she is now just .33 of a second off the all-time H-DNL mark in the 100 meter hurdles, with a PR of 15.68 seconds set at the North Coast Section meet earlier this year.

“I think she’ll do it,” longtime local track coach Rod Kausen said of the league record.

Kausen has worked closely with Brooks over the past few years and believes she will have a big impact at the next level.

Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

“I think it’s a really good fit,” he said. “And it’s good to get some local athletes up there.”

Brooks will immediately compete in the hurdles and is likely to continue to compete in the long jump as well.

And that might not be all.

“It’s definitely open,” Ingram said. “The long jump would be another event we would look to have her compete in, and we’ll take it one semester and one season at a time after that.

“We want to see her be successful in the (events) she’s had success in.”

Brooks’ versatility as an athlete is just part of what makes her special.

Ginny Brooks with hurdles coach Rod Kausen, left, and Eureka head coach Scott Pesch

“She’s a very competitive person,” Kausen said. “She doesn’t want to get beat, and she’s willing to put in the work. She knows how to work hard.”

Before she makes the leap to the Division-II level, Brooks still has some unfinished business to take care of in high school and she appears determined to enjoy her final year, especially after seeing her freshman season canceled and no section championships in her sophomore year.

“My big goal is to make it to state,” she said. “And I’m really excited to see how my personal times are.”

She also paid tribute to several people who have helped her get to where she is.

“I think what I’ll remember most is my hurdles coach Rod and the impact he had on me,” she said. “He’s a coach and a friend to me. 

“And definitely coach Scott (Pesch at Eureka) and my parents for driving me to all the meets and sitting there for hours.”

Brooks also played soccer in high school, as well as softball and basketball when she was younger, but says track has always been her favorite.

“I’m a really competitive person and I think track is a very good outlet for that,” she said. “And also I like the team environment.”