Laurel Highlands grad Jacobs to be inducted into WPIAL HOF
Breehana Jacobs of Laurel Highlands is one of the greatest sprinters in WPIAL and PIAA history. She won eight WPIAL and six PIAA gold medals during her storied career.
Jacobs has another honor coming her way, she is part of WPIAL Hall of Fame class of 2018, and will be inducted in June. She is part of an outstanding class that includes the following athletes: Curtis Bray (deceased), football, Gateway High School, Justin King, football, Gateway High School, Coleman Scott, wrestling, Waynesburg Central High School, Lee Shaffer, basketball, Baldwin High School, A.Q. Shipley, football, Moon Area High School, Terry Smith, football, Gateway High School and Tanisha Wright, basketball, West Mifflin Area School.
Coaches being inducted are Chuck DeVenzio (deceased), basketball, Ambridge, Springdale and Tom Nola, football, Clairton. Contest officials Anthony Notaro (deceased), baseball, basketball, football, softball, volleyball. Contributor Patrick Ratesic, past president WPIAL, PIAA board of directors, chairperson of WPIAL scholarship committee.
The 2018 WPIAL team inductee is the 1989 Sto-Rox softball team. The Heritage inductee is Phil Bridenbaugh (deceased), football, Geneva College, New Castle High School.
Jacobs was thrilled when she received the news that she was being honored.
“It caught me by surprise whenever I received it in the mail,” Jacobs said. “Then I got a couple of phone calls about it and my dad was very excited about it. I’m definitely excited about it, it is definitely a big accomplishment and I’m very thankful.”
Jacobs forged an outstanding career at Laurel Highlands, and she got into sports late. She did not compete in any sport until she went out for track in eighth grade.
“I was in fifth grade at Lafayette Middle School, and we had a track meet,” Jacobs said. “It was just a one-day meet where you did a bunch of different events. I participated in six different events and won all of them.
“I remember my dad saying I was fast. I was just having fun with it. I was never really interested. I never thought I’d be running track. I started running track in eighth grade and it just took off from there.”
Jacobs was already a WPIAL champion when she transferred from Uniontown to Laurel Highlands in ninth grade, and the rest is history.
She secured eight WPIAL gold medals, including the 100-meter title in her freshman year at Uniontown. Jacobs won the 100 four times, the 200 twice and the 400 once. She also shared in the Mustangs’ 400-meter relay title in 2005. She also won six PIAA championships: three in 100, two in the 200 and one in the 400.
“I did what I had to do to be the best,” Jacobs offered. “That’s what my dad told me to do and that’s what we did.”
Jacobs training methods helped to set her apart from other sprinters.
“After track practice, me and my dad would go to the YMCA in Uniontown, and we’d go lift weights,” Jacobs stated. “I probably started lifting the summer going from ninth grade to tenth grade, and that’s where I got all my power from. Me pushing off the blocks was my signature move, once I got off the blocks, it was like you are going to have to catch me.”
Looking back at her development, she thanks her dad, Corey Brown, for all the help he gave her.
“We did a lot and he pushed me,” Jacobs said. “He is one of the reasons I got to where I was. The weight training definitely helped and doing different drills and speed work and just putting in the extra hours.
“Coach (Ron) Morris at Laurel Highlands and Mr. (Bob) Costello, who helped me with the endurance workouts, because I had no endurance. I even went out and did cross country training with Mr. Costello. The entire Laurel Highlands coaching staff really helped me become the athlete that I turned into.”
Jacobs was dominant in a lot of different events.
“I did a lot in the 100 the 200 the 400 and the long jump,” Jacobs said. “I was doing the long jump my freshman year, but I realized it was too much. I didn’t do the 400 until midway through my senior year, and that turned out to be my best event.”
When Jacobs graduated from Laurel Highlands in 2007, she decided to run track at the University of South Carolina.
“I liked everything about South Carolina, for awhile I thought I might go to Miami,” Jacobs explained. “I loved the atmosphere and the athletes that were at South Carolina and the coaching staff. I can’t say that I regret the decision to go to South Carolina.”
Jacobs flourished at South Carolina where she was All-SEC and a five-time All-American.
“You always look back and think you could have done more,” Jacobs stated. “I’m definitely satisfied with my career at South Carolina.”
Jacobs is living in Pittsburgh and is the mother of two, a 3 1/2 year-old son, Jerrard, and a 1 1/2 year-old daughter, Damoni. She is expecting another son in July.
“I would definitely like to do some coaching,” Jacobs offered. “I think I’m going to look into some high school coaching.”
Jacobs was inducted into the Pennsylvania High School Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2013.
“I go places, and even younger kids, like 10 or 15-years-old they say, ‘You’re Breehana Jacobs, you’re that fast girl,'” Jacobs said. “With all the records, it is still nice to be recognized and remembered.”
The WPIAL Class of 2018 will be inducted at a banquet and ceremony at the Doubletree Hotel in Green Tree on June 2.
Tickets for the induction event are available via a link at wpial.com.
George Von Benko’s “Memory Lane” column appears in the Monday editions of the Herald-Standard. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.