by Ricky Quintana
Best throwers in the country are here.
The girls’ throws are loaded with the best talent in the nation.
Here’s an event by event preview:
Girls Shot Put
It will be hard to duplicate the impressive throwing by national record holder Michelle Carter(Red Oak, TX) last year, but the shot put will be very competitive as three of the top five in the nation are scheduled to compete.
Megan Howard (Arroyo Grande, Nipomo, CA)- Tradition rich Arroyo Grande will send it’s best thrower this season to AOC. Howard is the second best thrower in the country and may be the tallest girl competitor at this year’s AOC measuring in at a towering 6-03. Her best mark is 50-03 and her second best mark is 50-02; the only thrower in the field and the country to have two marks over 50-00. this season she won the Arcadia Invite and her first CA state championship in the shot put. She will attend the University of Arizona next year. Amazingly, Howard was hit by a discus before the season began knocking her out. The discus caused a four-inch gash to her face. After a hospital stay and no stitches (Cause scarring), just glue, she was back at practice the following day.
"I couldn't believe it," Arroyo Grande throws coach Rodger Milbourne told Eric Branch of the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Michaela Wallerstedt( Omaha, NE)- Wallerstedt is the top returnee after last year’ 4 th place finish. This season has been tough for the junior. With two reported ACL tears in her knees, she qualified for the state championships throwing from the stationary position. She has since gone on to win the shot put and discus Class A state championship titles and won the Golden West Invitational shot put on June 5. Her best throw of 49-08.25 was set at the state meet and is the second best of all the competitors.
Misti Barber (Carol City, Miami, FL)- The University South Florida bound senior unexpectedly broke Olympian Seilala Sua’s(St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale, FL) state meet record with a heave of 49-07.50 on May 8. That was good enough for the #4 performer in the nation. She also won the Golden South Classic on June 5.
Girls Discus Throw
The discus record of 175-09 set in 1997 by Krista Keir(South, Westerville, OH) may get a scare from the #1 ranked thrower in the country, Jocelyn White( Glassboro, NJ). Four of the top six throwers in the nation will make the field very deep and competitive.
Jocelyn White( Glassboro, NJ)- US#1 and University of North Carolina bound, Jocelyn White broke a 27 year old state record and reset it at the state championships with her best mark of the season, 172-02. That mark is just 3 feet 7 inches short of the meet record. She is a two-time winner of the NJSIAA Group III Championships and also won the All Group Championships this season.
Michaela Wallerstedt(Burke, Omaha, NE)- Wallerstedt has a best of 164-09 which is good enough for #3 performer in the US. She won the Nebraska State championships this year. She finished 10 th at last year’s AOC.
D’Andra Carter(Red Oak, Ovilla, TX)- Carter kept up the family tradition by winning a Texas Relays title in the discus this year. The younger sister of national shot put record holder, Michelle Carter, has made a name for herself winning the Texas 4A state title in the discus this year. She is the #5 performer in the US this season with a best throw of 160-06.
Misti Barber(Carol City, Miami, FL)- Barber followed up her state meet record setting shot put title with a win in the discus at the Florida 4A state championships. Her best throw is 157-04 from the Greater Miami Athletic Conference Champs.
Javelin Throw
Two of the top five ranked javelin thrower will compete for the AOC title.
Ruby Radocaj( Williamsport, PA)-Radocaj set the state meet record with her 158-00 throw. She’s the #3 performer in the nation. She won the Penn relays on the east coast and finished 3 rd at the Golden West Invitational on the west coast. She finished 3 rd at AOC last year. She will compete for the University of Minnesota next year.
Daina Pucurs( Demarest, NJ)- Possibly the most versatile and accomplished of all the athletes at the AOC this year. The 5-10, Harvard bound Pucurs was named first team All-State volleyball after she led her team, Northern Valley-Demarest, to a 26-1 record, its second straight tournament of champions title, and its 4 th NJSIAA volleyball title in the fall. She then started for the basketball team in the winter which made it to the playoffs and a 13-11 record. In her final sport, track, she finished 7 th at the Penn Relays and won the NJ All-Group Championships. She enters as the #4 performer in the country.
Amanda Harmata( Hazlet, NJ)- Harmata is the top returnee from last year’s AOC. She’s also placed 2 nd at the Penn Relays and the NJ All-Group Championships. She will attend LSU in the fall.
Girls Hammer Throw
The top three throwers in the country are entered in the hammer throw.
Erin Donnelly( Barrington, RI)- Donnelly enters as the best thrower in the nation with her best mark of 165-07. She won the Rhode Island Interscholastic league champs on June 10.
Andrea Kavleski( Ferndale, NY)- Kavleski is ranked #2 in the US with her best throw of 156-07. She was 10 th at last year’s AOC.
Stephanie Smolenski(New Hyde park, NY)- Smolenski is ranked #3 in the US with her best mark of 155-04. She finished 12 th at AOC last year.
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