By Paul Beitler, Bluffton News-Banner
5/29/2008
After hours and hours of practice and throw after throw, Haleigh Osborne is now just hours away from realizing a moment that she has been dreaming about for four years.
At about four o’clock Friday afternoon, Osborne will be beginning her warm up tosses for the IHSAA girls state shot put competition at Indiana University’s Robert C. Haugh Track & Field Complex in Bloomington.
Last week the Bluffton High School senior qualified for the state meet with a throw of 38 feet at the Fort Wayne regional.
Before it was obvious that Osborne had a chance to advance to the state tournament, Osborne had to make a decision: go to state or stay home and go to her graduation.
She chose to throw the shot put.
“It bothers me a little bit, but I know I’ll still have my college graduation,” said Osborne, standing beside her car after Wednesday’s afternoon practice session. “I’ll still get my diploma. Some days it’s harder than others. I expected about half way through the season that I would have to choose between the two and I could have easily chosen graduation, but I chose state.
“I just know that it’s what I’ve got to do. I’ve worked for three years to get here and I’m not going to stop now,” she added.
Throughout the season Osborne has been pushing herself, because she did not have a lot of competition in meets until the sectional and regional levels.
Her determination has kept her going when others fell by the wayside.
It wasn’t always easy, but she would ask and beg her throwing coach, Tony Fey, to spend extra time after practice to work on her technique.
Fey did not mind. He was happy to stay and help her.
While others were already at home having supper, Osborne would still be at Fred F. Park Stadium working out.
Since last Tuesday, the Bluffton recordholder (39 feet, 5 1/2 inches) has been practicing on her throwing form with Fey patiently observing and instructing her.
“I needed to stay closed longer and get just a little more height and work on my speed across the ring,” said Osborne, who will be attending Huntington University next fall where she will continue her throwing and also play basketball.
The exuberant Osborne is looking forward to the state finals and knows that it will take a long qualifying throw to make the final flight. The distances she has thrown in practice and competition give her reason to be excited.
“With my distance, I’ve always been up and down through practices. I can have a really good practice and then the next meet it won’t be as far as I’ve thrown in practice, or I throw shorter in practice and I throw farther the next meet. So for me, it’s kind of a wait-and-see kind of deal.”
|
«
Return to previous page
»
Send to a friend
|
|
IHSAA - GIRLS TRACK
-
By GREG MENGELT
The News and Tribune
Scottsburg won the boys’ Faulkner Relays title, with Salem taking the girls’ crown Saturday, but the story at Clarksville High School on Saturday was Silver Creek’s ...
-
JOHN O'MALLEY
Post-Tribune
Bailey Beckham glanced at the proposed event participants sheet two days before her track meet and couldn't believe her eyes.
Her seventh-grade coach at Taft Middle School, Sharron Hilliard, had ...
-
By GREG MENGELT
The News and Tribune
May 19, 2009, was a painful day for the Floyd Central girls’ track team.
On that fateful day, the Highlanders held the lead at the ...
| Girls Track News |
1 to 20 of 27 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|