SLIPPERY ROCK — It was early. It was windy. It was pouring down rain. And Maryann Ackerman was miserable.

Between the poor weather and her fatigue from prom the night before, the Slippery Rock High senior did everything she could to power through the day at Laurel High School at a rare track and field meet this summer.

She wasn't going to miss a chance to throw the javelin again.

Ackerman had competed in virtual meets online, but they weren't the same. She thrives on the in-person competition.

This meet was special for another reason. It had been more than a year since Ackerman threw against other competitors live. The combination of a knee injury and the cancelation of the PIAA spring sports season left Ackerman uncomfortably idle for an extended period of time.

“I just wanted to throw again,” she said.

Despite the obstacles and the rust, Ackerman threw the javelin 135 feet that day — well short of her career-best toss of 147 feet, 5 inches that has her fourth on the Butler County all-time Honor Roll, but a tad farther than her 134-2 effort that earned her a silver medal at the PIAA Track and Field Championships as a sophomore in 2019.

It served notice that Ackerman wasn't all that far away from being back in form.

“It was a very good throw for just having one meet,” Ackerman said. “I got back to just about where I was my sophomore year.”

Ackerman, healthy now, is eager to see what this spring season will hold for her.

She knows where her future at the next level will be, too.

Ackerman committed to Oregon State early last week after mulling over the decision for months.

It wasn't that Ackerman was unsure of what she wanted; it was just a matter of doing her due diligence.

“For a long time I knew Oregon State was where I wanted to go,” Ackerman said.

Ackerman isn't worried about attending a college more than 3,000 miles away. It's in her adventurous nature to venture so far away from Western Pennsylvania.

Her other choices were the University of Maine and Nebraska.

“I always knew I wanted to go away for college,” Ackerman said. “I like to experience new things.”

Ackerman wants to study forestry. No better place than Oregon State to do that.

Corvallis, Ore., is surrounded by lush forests.

“Other than sports, my big passion is the outdoors,” said Ackerman, who is also a star on the Slippery Rock girls basketball team. “I'm not 100% sure what I want to do with forestry. Obviously, I could be a forester (managing forests). But I like the work park rangers do.”

Corvallis also has become a great place to throw a javelin.

Since throwing coach Dave Dumble arrived, Oregon State's home has become known as “Throwvallis.”

Dumble said that despite Ackerman's long layoff, he has confidence Ackerman can excel with the Beavers.

“Her mark as a sophomore was one of the best in the nation for sophomores, and I think she was on pace to continue that development,” Dumble said. “Maryann is very sharp and loves athletics and will develop well in our program. In the end, I think Maryann can come in and make an impact at the Pac-12 level right away as a freshman.”

Ackerman wanted to test herself in track and field at the highest level.

Ackerman thought she was looking at a future in basketball at the next level, but then she began throwing the javelin farther and farther, breaking the school record on nearly every throw, and her goals changed.

Soon, she shot for a Division I scholarship.

“This fulfills my dream of throwing against the best,” Ackerman said. “I could be throwing against someone who wins a national championship and I want that. I want to think, 'Wow, I'm here throwing against the best.'”

Ackerman hasn't ruled out being the best, either.

Neither has Dumble, who said, “She has the potential to grow to be one of the top throwers in the NCAA.”