BALDWIN - Dancing and the shot put?

Two seemingly unrelated skills. One brings grace to mind. The other, brawn.

But for Butler High senior Tara Maxwell, the two aren't so dissimilar after all.

Maxwell, who is a gymnast, a cheerleader and a dancer, has incorporated those skills into the shot put - and with excellent results.

Maxwell recently changed her technique in the shot put. She used to glide while throwing. Now she spins, often using the dancing and gymnastic skills while throwing.

"Oh, it definitely helps," Maxwell said. "I think that's why I'm such a great spinner."

Being a gymnast, a cheerleader and a dancer has given Maxwell some uncanny body control. She employed that skill in the shot put to set a personal best mark in the first meet in which she used the spin technique.

It helped her again Thursday at Baldwin during the WPIAL Class AAA championships. Maxwell placed fifth in the event, but she uncorked a throw of 38 feet, 6½ inches to meet the qualifying standard and earn another trip to the state meet.

"It was a tough change to make," said Maxwell, who had used the gliding technique since she started throwing the shot several seasons ago. "But once I saw the results, I knew this was a good change."

Maxwell also advanced to the state meet in the discus with a throw of 120-5 - good enough for fourth place.

Butler girls track and field coach Rod Harris said Maxwell was a little disappointed she didn't finish higher Thursday, but he said all that matters is she qualified for the state meet.

Maxwell was nursing a sore right shoulder heading into the WPIAL finals.

"She's in. That's what counts," Harris said. "She has a week to rest up. I think a healthy and focused Tara has a good chance to do quite well."

Maxwell is no stranger to competition.

She participated in gymnastics for 11 years and was part of a successful Butler competitive cheerleading team.

"It was my life," she said.

Cheerleading fed off gymnastics and gymnastics fed off of dancing, Maxwell said.

Now that she has only track and field to occupy her time, she is beginning to miss those other disciplines.

"It's kind of sad because that is over," Maxwell said. "No more gymnastics and no more cheerleading."

Maxwell will throw at Robert Morris University next season. And, of course, she's always good for a dance and curtsy.

She hopes to be bowing on the podium in Shippensburg next week to accept two medals instead of one.

Last year at the state championships, she placed eighth in the discus.

This year, Maxwell has set a goal for herself to place in both events.

"Hopefully, I can get in the top five in the discus, top eight in the shot," she said. "I definitely feel more confident this year. Last year, I was just so happy to get to states. This year I want a little more."