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Midlothian juniors Eric and Vince Frawley are identical twins, so they're hard to tell apart. But during track practice the last two years, it was usually pretty easy.

Vince Frawley was the guy pole-vaulting. Eric Frawley was the guy sitting on the sidelines, recovering from injuries.

But telling them apart this year?

Well, you just might have to ask them at the state meet. They'll be competing in the 4A pole vault after finishing 1-2 in the Region II meet two weeks ago.

"I'm just happy that we're both going to state," Vince Frawley said.

He's happy that Eric, who suffered a broken ankle last year and missed the start of this season with a torn ligament in his shoulder, is finally healthy enough to compete. What Vince isn't happy about, however, is which brother finished first in the region.

That would be Eric, who vaulted 15 feet to beat his brother for the first time in a high school meet. Vince vaulted 14-6.

Yes, there is brotherly love. Yes, they are friendly rivals. But these guys are competitive, whether they are racing for who gets the shower first in the morning or playing sports.

A few years ago, Eric pushed Vince in a soccer game and Vince retaliated by pushing down Eric from behind, opening a gash above his right eye.

"We have a first-aid kit at the house that's pretty legit," Vince said. "We need it."

MILTON HINNANT/DMN

Eric Frawley (left) beat his identical twin brother, Vince, for the first time in a high school meet at the Class 4A Region II meet. Vince will try to turn the tables this weekend at the state meet.

And maybe Eric needed the brotherly motivation to go higher at the region meet.

"I didn't clear a height after he went out," Eric said with a smile. "I was like, what's the point?"

Friday, Eric and Vince get another chance to compete against each other as they make their state meet debuts. They'll be trying to follow in the footsteps of their brother, Nick, who won the 4A pole vault title two years ago and now vaults for Air Force.

The favorite Friday will be Kaleb Shrader of Gregory-Portland, whose qualifying height of 16-3 ½ is well above the personal-bests of Vince (15-6) and Eric (15-2).

But Vince believes all the state competitors, including Denton Ryan's Michael McLeod and Keller Fossil Ridge's Jeffrey Rodriguez, are capable of clearing at least 16 feet.

After all, the state meet provides extra motivation.

But maybe not as much as living with your biggest rival.

YEARBOOK MOMENT: During this month in 2004, Kimball junior LeeAndrea Robinson won her second straight 4A championship in the 100-meter hurdles by finishing in 13.66 seconds, nearly a second faster than the second-place finisher. Robinson also won the triple jump with a personal-best leap of 40 feet, 6 ½ inches. The following year, she won the 100 hurdles for a third time.

RELAY THE MESSAGE: To find the team champion at the state track meet Friday and Saturday, just look at the relays. Individual winners earn 10 points for a team, but relays are scored double for a maximum of 20. At last year's state meet, the four area teams that won – the Madison boys and girls in 3A, the Lancaster girls in 4A and the DeSoto girls in 5A – scored 65 percent of their points in the 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400.

STREAKING INTO A WALL: Garland and Plano West have won a combined 23 straight entering their 5A Region II softball quarterfinal series, which begins tonight at McKinney. Fifteen of those 23 victories have been shutouts.