By Chris Parker
The Dora girls track program has seen two athletes win seven state titles on the track in program history.
On Friday, junior Haley Perkins became the first female athlete in program history to win a championship in a field event taking the javelin competition with a throw of 129’5, which won the event by seven inches.
“I am so excited because I can say I earned something and say I did that completely,” Perkins said.
She came in with a simple mantra guiding her.
“It was start strong, stay strong and don’t give up,” Perkins said. “You know the steps. You know what you are doing. Be confident and keep strong.”
Perkins did start strong with a throw of 126’2. Her second throw of 129’5 proved to be the winning toss that stood up over the next preliminary round of throws and three rounds of final throws.
When the penultimate throw of the competition landed short of her mark, Perkins breathed a sigh of relief knowing she was a state champion.
“The biggest relief came off my shoulders,” Perkins said. “I could finally relax. I didn’t have to keep being so tense.”
Perkins, who is also a softball player, has grown to love javelin after picking one up for the first time as a freshman.
“I love softball. It is such a team sport. I love team sports. It makes you push harder. You have to be good, otherwise you are in trouble,” Perkins said. “Javelin was a relief off my shoulders. It wasn’t ‘I have to be good constantly’. If I mess up, it is not the end of the world. It is only on me, which gave me a relief. I found a lot of love in that.”
Liberal’s Ava Garrett also earned a spot on the podium with a throw of 110’8.