Three pole vaulters from same family a coincidence

Not one, not two, but three star pole vaulters from the same family.

Having siblings excel in one event in track and field isn't exactly a new phenomenon, but having a set of twins and a cousin nearly reach the pinnacle in an obscure event isn't a common occurrence.

Syosset seniors Jon and Brandon Locke have been standout pole vaulters since their social studies teacher Richard Cafiero talked them into it their sophomore year.

Hewlett senior Samantha Locke, a cousin of the twins, has been participating in the event since her freshman year.

The story starts with the twins, who are the top two pole vaulters in Nassau.

Jon took first at the state qualifier, and Brandon was runner-up. At the Nassau Class A championships, Brandon took first and Jon took third.

Brandon matched his career-best vault of 12 feet, 6 inches at the Long Island Invitational Saturday. Jon wasn't as successful, but both will participate in the state championships on March 6 at Cornell.

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There is of course the obligatory sibling rivalry. The two are nearly identical in everything, including a top vault of 12-6.

"We're very competitive with each other. One is always trying to beat the other," Brandon said. "Usually, whichever one wins the other comes in second."

Jon concurred. "We're always trying to beat each other," he said. "But it's a friendly rivalry and we always push each other. As long as one of us does well, it's usually all right."

Being a successful pole vaulter indoors in Nassau isn't easy. They often have to practice outside. Syosset coach Chris Meyers worked out a deal that allowed the twins to practice sporadically at Cold Spring Harbor. It's one of the few places Nassau athletes can pole vault indoors.

Jon said: "Practicing outside is difficult. You have to deal with jumping in the snow with ice on the runway. It makes practice time more important. You have to do more with less and still get the same things accomplished. So it's a huge advantage to be able to practice [at CSH]."

Meyers has been impressed with the twins' progress.

"Watching them make it into the county final and score at the county final with a 10-foot vault their sophomore year was an eye-opening experience," Meyers said. "We've had some quality vaulters in the past, but not right off the bat at their first county meet."

As for Samantha, she is also a championship-caliber pole vaulter. She cleared 8-6 at the Nassau state qualifier and will compete at the state meet.

It was actually a coincidence that the three became pole vaulters. "It's especially odd since there aren't that many schools that have it," Brandon said. "It's such an obscure event."

Jon said he was surprised when he first saw Samantha at an event. "We were at a meet one day our sophomore year and saw her there," Jon said. "I asked what she was doing there and she said pole vaulting. I thought she was joking."

Samantha found it odd, too. "I was very shocked when I saw them at the meet," Samantha said. "I knew they were good athletes, but I had absolutely no idea they would be pole vaulters."

Samantha got started in the pole vault a year before Jon and Brandon. "I was a competitive gymnast until I was 13," she said. "After I stopped I got into pole vaulting freshman year. I just fit right in."

As for the future, they all will be attending Michigan in the fall. But just for academics.

Believe it or not, that is also a coincidence.