Tribe's Stein reaches state (05/26/05)

PIQUA, Ohio — Most athletes don’t realize how little time they have in high school until their senior year, then making that one last great push to success. Holly Stein has reached that realization a bit earlier.

“This year I think I made it because I wanted it a lot more,” said Stein. “As a sophomore you realize you only have two more years of high school left and time is dwindling. You know that you have to do it if you want to go.

That attitude served the Fort Recovery sophomore well Wednesday as she finished fourth in the shot put at the Piqua regional to earn a trip to the OHSAA track and field state meet next week.

Stein, who missed the state meet by inches last season, finished at 35 feet, 91/4 inches. She will compete at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium at Ohio State University in Columbus Saturday, June 4 at 9 a.m.

“It’s a great feeling to know that you get to go to state — to be one of the best in the state,” Stein said. “It’s a great accomplishment.”

Crestview’s Shea Dietrich, who finished first in front of Stein at the Minster district, was the champion at 39 feet, 31/2 inches, and Mary Weisenbarger of Troy Christian took second. Andrea Luthman of Botkins was third at 36 feet, 83/4 inches and Nikki Chapman from Tri-County North was fifth at 35 feet, one inch.

Fort Recovery coach Jessica Faller said it’s been the heightened competition which has pushed Stein to her best throws during tournament action.

“She definitely responds to competition,” said Faller. “She came out and she won the Midwest Athletic Conference. Just that competition that the MAC brings and the tournament brings (pushed her).”

Stein, who won shot put and discus titles at both the Mercer County and MAC meets, opened Thursday’s competition with a throw good enough to get her into the finals. That toss of 33 feet 81/2 inches was solid, but then she uncorked a state-qualifying throw on her next attempt.

Her second throw traveled 35 feet, 41/2 inches, her best of the tournament season to that point. It placed her fourth behind Dietrich, Weisenbarger and Luthman after the field was cut to 10 for the finals.

She remained fourth throughout the finals, but bettered her preliminary mark on her fifth toss to her final distance of 35 feet, 91/4 inches.

“Obviously I’m really, really happy Holly was able to throw so well today and qualify,” said Faller. “I know she missed it by not very much last year. This is a big day for her, especially for being a sophomore. That’s awesome. This won’t be her last trip to state I don’t think.”

Stein said she wants to add a couple more feet so she can place in the top eight and earn a state medal.

If she does she will be the second Fort Recovery athlete to do so in three years following Tyler Niekamp’s third-place finish in the high jump in 2003.

“I hope that I can hit 36 or 37 because I’d like to stand on the podium at state,” said Stein. “If I can get that I’ll break my personal record.”

The day did not go as well for sophomore Vicki Roessner, who competed in the 300-meter hurdle preliminaries at Piqua.

Roessner stumbled as she landed after clearing the first hurdle. Although she twisted her ankle she stayed in contention and was battling for fourth and a trip to Friday’s finals as the runners came down the final stretch. But, she ran out of gas late and fell as she clipped the final hurdle.

Faller praised Roessner for a great season despite the rough ending.

“At districts she knocked a second off her best time, which is excellent,” Faller said. “Today she had a good run even with the mishaps that she had. She’s not going away either.”[[In-content Ad]]