Well, after bowling season I was onto Lacrosse, but sadly, not enough girls were joining the lovely sport so I was pulled into running track and field. For 4 years the track coach/cross country coach/ health and gym teacher tried to get me onto the team, but I always had the excuse of playing LAX over running for him. To say the least, he was overjoyed that I could finally run track. It turned out to be a very odd season for me, running everyday around the school wasn't the most exiting thing to do, but the other track people made the experience humorous.
The year before I saw some track players throwing sticks down the football field and I always was interested in trying it, despite the fact I heard it was more difficult than one would believe. Consequently, I asked the coach to teach me, and he sure taught me... he taught he the feeling of pain and numbness that comes with through a javelin for 2 hours up and down a field. Those were "fun" days, but it made everyone else jealous that I got to throw a stick while they had to run; that came back to haunt me. Apparently I caught on so fast that I got to attend my own personal practice on Saturday mornings... me and the coach and 5 javelins. Practices became more entertaining when I had to throw javelins over the field goal post near the parking lot... and then came my other teachers telling me to "close the door" and not make them into skewers. Such awesome terms those javelin people use, and such fun times it was throwing 5 javelins over and over, day in and day out. Believe me it takes a toll on your shoulder and wrist. Every night was "Hello, Ice Pack. Have a good day without me cause we're gonna be on each other like GLUE tonight!"
As the track season continued, I continued to throw javelin and also run the 200 and 400 meter races. Every meet I also continued to throw farther and farther, which was a great feeling. At meets, you get practice throws, get your measurements done so you don't go across the board and then you have 3 tries to throw your farthest. The actually distances I don't recall, but I do know the farthest I threw in total. The longest distance I threw was 85 feet 5 1/2 inches. Sadly, I didn't qualify in the Championships, but I did however qualify in Districts in the AA Division and moved onto States. I was the #1 thrower in our division, which wasn't difficult because we have a tiny division compared to AAA. I wasn't planning on attending the State Championships seeing as though it was my first, only, and last year, but I made the most of it. States were held at Shippensburg University, and I drove out with my coach the day before. It was like a huge party scene for track stars all over. My roommate was from Prendie, who threw farther than me, a year younger, and had been throwing since she was a freshman, so I had an excuse to be under her.
Sadly, States sucked for me. It rained, I ended up throwing on that turf like stuff instead of regular grass, and I really didn't want to be there. It was very odd and uncomfortable, but I got credit for being the last Kennedy-Kenrick student to go to States, especially after only a year of throwing javelin. Everyone was proud of me, my teammates, my coach, parents. I even shed some tears, which made my coach crack up in hysteria and tell me that in the years he's known me I never cried once, and there he was hugging a slightly crying me. Ah, what a day. Nevertheless, it was a great experience that will haunt me forever. My coach aslways joked that if I didn't waste my time with Lacrosse I would have been a better javelin thrower, but Hey... I love LAX, and I loved giving him a hard time about it.
I ended my senior year with 4 Varsity letters, 5 total from all 4 years. I had a great experience playing all the sports I did, and throwing javelin. It really is more difficult than it looks and it takes a WHOLE lot of pratice to get every single movement down correctly. It was fun while it lasted, but it was even better going ot practice, giving me coach a hard time, throwing a stick for 2 hours, and then icing my whole right arm when I got home. Oh the pains, joys, and memories.
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