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DyeStat 2001 Indoor
March 2, 2001 at Reggie Lewis Center, Boston MA
New England Championships
The Gerraughty Zone
A plateau never before inhabited,
with a new peak in sight: 55 feet!
by John Dye
Athletes often talk of a zone in which everything goes right effortlessly. National champion shot putter Laura Gerraughty, Nashua NH senior, has been in the zone all year.
On January 19 Gerraughty soared to a peak of 53'11", not only a new US indoor record for HS girls but also further than the outdoor record set in 1983. Since then Laura has been competing on a high plateau never before seen by a prep female shot putter. All six of her throws tonight were over 50 feet. Consider that until this year, there had only been six throws ever above 50 feet indoors according to the 2001 edition of Jack Shepard's HIGH SCHOOL TRACK.
When we commented on her consistency, Laura quickly replied, "Time for a breakthrough, isn't it?" and revealed her goal for the year: 55 feet! In practice, she said, "It's there. I just have to do it in a meet."
Here is the sequence of a 50+ throw by Laura Gerraughty:
| Get-ready routine includes
rolling the shot with her foot and spitting on her hands  |
Shot is raised high before getting
set. |
Cradles the shot on her shoulder
and starts to crouch |
Deep crouch, with an attentive
crowd. |
Glide forward |
Turn |
and Throw |
Follow through |
And see where it lands |
Smiles all around afterward - here
with Lancy Turley, one of her coaches |
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