Published: May 08, 2008 11:35 am            

Campbell seeks second state meet

By PAUL WILCOXEN

paul.wilcoxen@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Mt. Vernon girls track and field coach Connie Harre-Blair remembers taking a then sophomore Shelby Campbell to the state track meet.

Campbell throws shot put and discus for the Lady Rams, but wasn't there to compete, but to observe.

Campbell's reaction described by Coach Harre-Blair was being in awe of her surroundings, but the Lady Ram mentor says she has seen a change in

Campbell, which led to her qualifying for state as a junior a year ago.

This year — Campbell's senior year — she will attempt back-to-back trips to Eastern Illinois University and the state meet, but this journey has come at a sacrificial price.

During a meet in Belleville, Campbell explains she pulled an oblique muscle while throwing.

The type of injury to a thrower would be equated to a sprinter turning her ankle.

That (injury) called me to take a week-and-a-half to two weeks off," said Campbell, unable to practice because of the rain on Wednesday. "I've just been back in the swing of things for two weeks and I think I jumped in a little too soon, which has caused it (the oblique muscle) to be sore again.

"I'm kind of resting and I'm going to try and practice tomorrow because sectionals are on Friday."

Campbell was officially out for three matches, but the team missed two others because of weather issues, which Campbell would have also have been absent from.

Her first meet back was at home in a four-way adventure back on April 16, where she established a new school record in the discus with a throw of 124 feet, 11 1/2 inches.

"Days before that I hadn't practiced and I was feeling better, so that helped," added Campbell. "I was worried that I would come back into things not doing so well. I thought it would be hard to jump back into the swing of things, but it wasn't"

Campbell has been throwing since the seventh grade and admits discus is her favorite of the two throwing events she competes in.

"My freshman year I guess I realized I'm somewhat better at it than the shot put, so I just naturally liked it more.

"I enjoy both and I'm okay at both, but I've just always liked the discus more for some reason."

Campbell says she tries to keep her workouts close to the same as the rest of the team.

"The first 20 to 25 minutes I warm up with the rest of the track team," said Harre-Blair. "I do what the rest of the team does, two laps, two stadiums, walk through the hurdles. I do stretches with the team and work with bands.

"Before the season started we did a lot of lifting and speed drills, but now that we're in the heart of the season we've just been throwing. Most of practices aren't as much as throwing as it is critiquing and working on getting better."

Although Campbell says she was startled after she captured the school record in the discus on her first meet back from her injury, she was astounded with her first place finish at the South 7 conference in the shot put with her throw of 36 feet, one inch.

"I was very surprised about that," said Campbell. "I didn't go into it at all expecting that. I think I was shooting more for winning discus than shot put. I was ready for more like fifth of sixth in the shot put. I was obviously really happy that I won, but I was not expecting it."

Now, Campbell is preparing for sectional by resting her sore oblique muscle in hopes of throwing the state qualifying distance in the discus.

"The thing about sectional is that it's like an individual meet," she added. "I'm not going to sectional with the intentions of winning. I am going to sectional with the intentions of throwing the 117 feet, six inches and making my way to state.

"That's one thing I like about sectional. If I just stay focused on myself and not care what everyone else is doing, I should be fine.

"I could finish sixth and throw 117 feet, six inches and I'll be fine." Sectionals will take place this Friday beginning at 4 p.m. at Marion High School.

        

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