United Community Bank Athletes of the Week: Minot High’s Brown family

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) - If you could build the perfect athlete, you would start with the Brown family.

“They’re amazing athletes. You see it on the field or the track,” said Mark Jensen, a track and field assistant coach at Minot High.

If you wanted a perfect person…

“But, they’re better human beings… you can’t meet better people,” said Jensen.

You would start with their upbringing.

“It was just how our mom raised us,” said Anthony Brown, a junior at Minot High.

Faith, Anthony and Zach Brown moved to Minot in 2014.

“At first I didn’t know what to expect coming to North Dakota,” said Anthony.

Along with their mom and older sister, Janessa.

“I think that it was a great place to grow up. If we were still in South Carolina, we just would have grown up differently. I appreciate the fact that we moved here,” said Anthony.

Just a few weeks into the spring season, the three have combined to qualify for state in ten events.

“They’re easy to cheer for. There’s never been more coachable and easier kids to hope to have success that you’ll ever see,” said Drew Hysjulien, a track and field assistant coach at Minot High.

Faith, the youngest, leads the way with state times in four events.

“I really like to be tough because they’re all so tough. I try to outdo them and try to be faster and be stronger… they won’t let me be weak. They won’t let me give up, they push me to be better,” said Faith, a sophomore.

Anthony is on the edge of breaking the school record in the triple jump

“When you watch them jump, it’s an impressive feat to see,” said Hysjulien.

He wants to bring his teammates to the top, with him.

“Without them, I wouldn’t be nearly as good as I am right now,” said John Williams III, a sophomore.

Zach and Anthony are also leaders on the football team.

“If you tell them to do something, they do it. Then after the game, how can I get better, what can I do to get better,” said Jensen.

“Me doing the best that I can and being the best athlete that I can is my way of giving back to him for the chance to even be on the field,” said Zach, a senior.

“On the football field, they would point to me and direct me around because they know everything about the game,” said Tyson Ruzicka, a junior.

They give all the credit to one woman.

“(Our mom) has had to work her whole life and she’s still in the military to make sure that we have a nice place to live and have food on the table every day and she does what she has to, to make sure we have the best life possible and we have whatever we could want in life,” said Anthony.

Giving back to their family and the community that has welcomed them and taking some records along the way.

The three siblings will all compete at the prestigious Howard Wood Relays in Sioux Falls this weekend.

Anthony currently has the longest triple jump mark in North Dakota and South Dakota.

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