After spending much of her career in the shadow of state champion Lindsay Regan of Easton, who graduated last year, Finn was working last spring toward finally making this her year.

Then the pain started.

''It had to do with my jump,'' Finn said. ''You're supposed to be straight at the point of takeoff and I tend to arch my back and drop my knee and it weakened my back.''

At the district 3A meet last year, Finn made things worse by landing on the bar with her lower back. She went on to finish second Regan at states and later found out she had a stress fracture. The injury forced Finn to shelve the strength training she usually does in the summer and fall.

''That's what really gave me the upper hand junior year,'' Finn said. ''And I had to sit out. I was finally cleared in late October and that killed me. I was really discouraged because I had been losing to Lindsay for so long.''

Finn entered the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association indoor state championships at Penn State last Saturday seeded fourth with a season best 11-8. Despite still dealing with pain, she put together a special day, winning the pole vault with a personal best vault of 12-6. Easton junior Abby Schaffer was second at 12-0.

''I wasn't nervous, but I wanted to win and it wasn't looking like that was going to happen,'' said Finn, whose previous best was 12-3. ''When I finally did I was like, 'Wow, I finally got what I wanted.' ''

Finn became the second Liberty girl to win a state pole vault title behind 2002 champ Lauren Birckhead, who went on to compete for Penn State.

''It caught us by surprise,'' Liberty coach Mike Lawyrk said. ''That's her personal best and for not feeling good, we were a little bit shocked.''

Finn and Lawyrk knew her competition well because Lawyrk, a Liberty alumnus, is the founder of Vertical Assault, an elite high school pole vaulting club in Bethlehem.

Through the club, he works with many of District 11's top boy and girl pole vaulters along with many from around the state.

''I was happy for Beki because it's her senior year and she had always gotten second,'' said Schaffer, who also trains with Vertical Assault.

Both were trying to clear 12-6, with Finn hitting the height on her third attempt.

''Not only did she come out of being injured, she came out of being second,'' Lawyrk said. ''I thought she was going to be second again.''

Now Finn is focusing toward the outdoor season.

''This was a really big confidence boost,'' she said. ''I always knew I could do better, but the actual doing it is what's hard. I know the competition is just as good as it was when Lindsay was here ... and no one expected me to do what I did at states. ... I have to be really careful this year, really taking care of my back.''

Finn also must pick a college.

She has visited East Carolina University, is talking to the University of South Florida and would like to visit the University of Tennessee.