SLIPPERY ROCK — Emily Campbell enjoys throwing things.

Whether it is a nearly nine-pound shot put ball or a two-plus-pound discus disc, the Slippery Rock High graduate is quite good at it, too.

As a freshman at Wake Forest University, Campbell threw 47.37 meters (155 feet, 5 inches) in the discus at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships last month to place sixth and earn All-American honors.

“I had no clue I was going to finish there,” Campbell said. “The entire year we were just trying to figure out how to compete with all these huge schools. I didn’t really know how to compete in college — it took quite a few meets.”

She threw 148-3 last year to win the state title in the discus for Slippery Rock.

Campbell was easily besting those throws early in her college career.

“It all came together and it culminated (at the ACC meet) into a really good thing,” Campbell said.

Campbell already has the second-best discus throw in Wake Forest history. She also has the seventh-best toss in the shot put in school history.

But her beginnings at Wake Forest were humble.

“That first meet, I didn’t make finals,” Campbell said. “I had always made the finals since I was in the eighth grade, so it was a crushing blow.”

But it served to motivate Campbell, who worked closely with Wake Forest throwing coach Zeb Sion to adapt to the college competitions.

“Coach Sion was the best,” Campbell said. “We just worked hard on things and by the time we reached the ACCs, we set the shot aside until next year and just focused on the discus. It paid off.”

Campbell may be throwing even more next season.

And something all together different.

At a practice this season, Campbell was hanging out with the javelin throwers. Campbell picked up a javelin and hurled it — to the amazement of her teammates and Sion.

“I picked up a boys javelin and just whipped it,” Campbell said. “Then he put a girls javelin in my hand and he said it was so natural the way I let it go,” Campbell said. “I just laughed the entire time. So, we’re going to try it.”

Campbell dabbled with the javelin early in her Slippery Rock career, then realized a benefit of not throwing it.

“I threw it twice in high school and then I figured out if I only threw two things, I got to leave early,” Campbell said.

Now, Campbell is looking forward to doing all three at Wake Forest, especially the discus and the javelin.

“If I can do both and medal and podium in both, that would be extra extra cool,” Campbell said.

Campbell has some lofty goals for the discus.

“My goal is 50 meters, or 160 (feet), then I want to keep going,” Campbell said. “It’s a tall order, but I’m hoping by my senior year to hit 200 (feet), which would be a pretty big thing.”