OTTOVILLE — Brittany Klima may not have ended up on the podium at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships held in Des Moines, Iowa, last weekend.
Still, she was oh-so-close to getting into the finals of the pole vault at Drake Stadium and going out on a truly high note to her college career.
“I ended up tied for 15th. I needed to make the next height to get to the finals and I’d have ended up on the podium,” the daughter of Bob and Saundra Klima of Ottoville began. “I wish I’d have jumped better when I was out there but just to get there is a great accomplishment.
“I was pretty excited when I set the school record at the Regionals that got me to the Nationals.”
Klima just missed moving into the finals as she missed on her three attempts at 13-5 1/4. She finished in a tie for 15th as the top 14 vaulters qualified for finals. The senior closes her career as the top vaulter in UC history, holding both the indoor (13-3 1/2) and outdoor (13-7 3/4) school records.
The 2004 Ottoville High School graduate did fulfill the dream she had when she started her collegiate career after starring at Ottoville — setting the state record in the pole vault.
“When I came to the University of Cincinnati in the fall of 2004, it was my goal to get to Nationals; it’s everybody’s goal who competes in Division I track and field. I got to where I wanted to go,” she continued.
She won the 2007 Big East outdoor championship and finished second at the 2008 Indoor championships.
Among her many other athletic acconmplishments at the collegiate level were:
2007: Won the BIG EAST Outdoor pole vault title with a school-record 12- 9 1/2 clearance … qualified for NCAA Mideast Regional Championships in pole vault, finishing 10th with a 12-6 clearance … won the pole vault at the Southern Ohio Cup (12-6), Miami Invitational (12-5 1/2), Oliver Nikoloff (11-11 3/4) and Early Bird Relays (11-7 3/4) … finished fourth at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships in the pole vault with a 11-9 3/4 clearance … won the Gladstein Invitational (11-11 3/4) and Bowling Green Quad (11-11 1/2) pole vault crowns … cleared a then-personal-best 12-5 1/2 at the Findlay Open, finishing fourth.
2006: Set indoor school pole vault record with a 12-6 1/4 clearance to win the Ohio State Invitational title … placed fifth at BIG EAST Indoor Championships with a 12-3 1/2 vault … won the Bowling Green Quintangular pole vault crown and finished second at the All-Ohio Indoor Championships with identical 11-11 3/4 clearances … tied outdoor school pole vault record with 12-5 1/2 at the Sea Ray Relays, finishing sixth … matched that mark at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships to finish third …  qualified for NCAA Mid-East Regional Championships … won Oliver Nikoloff Invitational pole vault title (11-11 3/4).
2005: Finished ninth at Conference USA Indoor Championships with an 11-5 3/4 pole vault … finished second at the Fazoli’s Open with a season-best 5-5 high jump … set outdoor school pole vault record, clearing 11-11 3/4 at the Miami Invitational to finish third … was fourth at the All-Ohio Outdoor Championships with an 11-9 3/4 vault … placed fifth at C-USA Outdoor Championships (11-5 3/4) … posted a season-best high jump of 5-3 3/4 at All-Ohio Outdoor Championships, finishing eighth.
Not only did she accomplish much on the track but her list of academic honors is also quite impressive:
BIG EAST Academic All-Star (2005-06) … Topcat Scholar (Spring 2006, Fall 2005, Spring 2005, Winter 2005, Fall 2004) .. .Bearcat Scholar (Winter 2006) … Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal (2004-05) … Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll (2004-05).
The Advanced Medical Imaging Technology major will graduate from UC in August and then begin her search for a job, likely in the field of ultrasound technology.
Still, she plans on competing, even though a shot at the Olympics is likely out of reach at this late date.
“My last shot was really last weekend at Nationals. I’d have needed to get that next height just to get onto the standard for the ‘B’ list; that still probably wouldn’t have been enough,” she added. “The Olympic Trials in track and field are late June to early July.
“I’ll probably still say active in the sport and see where it goes.”
While one local collegiate career ends for the Lady Bearcats, two more hope that theirs gets off the ground in 2008-09: junior-to-be Chelsea Honigford (Lincolnview) in the distance events and sophomore-to-be Quinesha Dinkins (Elida High School) in the hurdles.s.