KC's Knox, ACV's Eaton claim D-9 discus, shot
BROOKVILLE — A ticket punched to the PIAA meet, a district title and a bit of redemption.
That was how Karns City's Sara Knox spent her Friday afternoon.
The junior first competed in the Class AA girls shot put. Though she was seeded first, she failed to medal by finishing eighth.
“I felt confident coming in here, but that knocked me down a few pegs,” she said. “I threw four feet shorter than I did in practice (Thursday).”
Knox had time to think about it, too. Several hours passed before she returned to the throwing area to try and redeem herself in the discus.
Mission accomplished. Her throw of 107 feet, 4 inches topped the field.
“In a way, I liked the gap in between events,” she said. “But you're competing and then there's a long break. I had to get back in the zone.”
Interestingly, it was a throw by a fellow competitor that helped Knox do just that.
“I saw a girl from Coudersport (Rosalyn Page, seeded second) throw 103. I threw 113 (last week at the Redbank Valley Invitational) and that gave me confidence.”
A-C Valley's Kylee Eaton wishes she had come out for the track and field team a few years ago.
A senior, she made the most of her first and only district meet by winning the shot put with an effort of 35-4.
“My best before today was a 33-3 and that was at the beginning of the year,” said Eaton, who also plays softball. “I've been dealing with a pulled hamstring since halfway through the season. I was just looking to have fun today.”
Kendall Grossman did not win a third straight pole vault title, but you wouldn't have guessed it after she received her second-place medal.
She was genuinely pleased with her performance and had every right to be.
Grossman and Clarion's Laken Lewis both reached a district-meet record height of 11 feet, 6 inches. Lewis took first place because of less misses, but considering what Grossman dealt with this season, she was also a winner.
In the very first meet of the season, she was competing against Karns City when her pole broke.
“I landed upside down in the box,” said Grossman. “I actually cleared two more heights that day, but after the meet, I just didn't want to get back out there. It was a mental thing I had to get over.”
Grossman took a break from vaulting, but still competed in events on the track for the Warriors. She returned to vaulting at the recent Baldwin Invitational and cleared 11-3 at the Redbank Invite May 10.
Now preparing for her third straight state meet, Grossman's mind is clear. The junior's performance Friday proved that.
“I am not disappointed at all,” she said. “I'm excited because I think there's still room for improvement. I have a lot to look forward to.”
Also making states with second-place finishes were Moniteau's Tayinna Johnson, who went 16.4 in the 100 hurdles, and A-C Valley's Baylee Blauser in the long jump.
