Using a new, more flexible pole but with the same determination she has shown throughout her high school track and field career, Charlotte Brown advanced Friday to the Texas Class 3A state meet in the pole vault.

Brown, who is blind and uses beeper devices to aid her in the pole vault and in her running events, finished second at the regional meet at Texas A&M-Commerce with a vault of 11 feet, 3 inches. Neither Brown nor the first-place finisher was able to clear 11-6, but Brown had more previous misses.