Sweep the Meet
“I don’t think the discus will ever attract any interest until they let us start throwing them at each other.”
- Al Oerter (four-time Olympic champion in the discus throw)
Perhaps one of the most overlooked sports in recent history is that of throwing. A component of the “field” segment of “track and field,” throwing comprises four main events: shot put, discus throw, javelin throw, and hammer throw. Each event takes a considerable amount of knowledge, technique, and awareness. While observing a thrower in action may not elicit feelings of awe, putting your own abilities to the test in the same way would prove it a challenging task. Though it often goes unnoticed, throwing is an intense sport, in which mastery is almost never spotted among high schoolers. Nevertheless, George Jenkins is host to one of the greatest throwers in the state. Our very own Violet Smith leads the charge against rival schools.
Violet is, by all descriptions and nature, an athlete. Watching her throw is a humbling experience, to say the least. With a current PR (personal record) of 39.48 meters, she holds the school record for the farthest female discus throw. She achieved this PR at the senior night track meet on Tuesday, April 8. This distance makes her the best female thrower in the city, county, district, and region. That alone is a magnitudinous feat, but it doesn’t stop there. Violet is one of the top ten female discus throwers in the state of Florida. She trains hard to become number one.
When asked about how many meets she has won, she replied, “I’ve lost track of which meets I won and which ones I got second [place].” There are just too many first-place titles to keep track. Naturally, Violet is a beast. Whether in the ring or in the weight room, she is putting in the work to make our school proud. Thank you, Violet!