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NICEVILLE — Entering Niceville High as a freshman in 2023, Shelby Plasier had no idea where her athletic career would take her.
She'd been a gifted softball player in a sea of gifted Niceville-area stars her entire life, yet she was burnt out. She needed a change. It turns out she didn't have to look far, Emily Webb and the lauded Niceville track and field throws program a natural fit.
"I feel like we connected really well from the start," Plasier said of Webb. "She believed in me. She's one of the only coaches I've had who genuinely cares about her athletes outside the sport as well. There's more to it than the sport. She wants you to succeed off the field as well."
Vote now: NWF Daily News Athlete of the Week presented by Florida Power & Light
Her first year was solid with the javelin, the freshman gaining confidence when she cleared the 100-foot milestone. It helped to be in the midst of Elaina Perkins, who won the 4A state tournament with a school-record throw of 146 feet, 3 inches. That same meet Plasier threw 117-08, good for seventh place and motivation that she'd found her calling.
That motivation took her to the weight room. Took her to finding consistency in offseason drills. Took her to a mindset of carrying the javelin torch for Perkins, who was off to throw at the University of Florida on scholarship.
She did all three as just a sophomore, improving her PR by 27 feet and easily winning the 3A state championship Friday with a throw of 145-03, right on the cusp of breaking Perkins' mark with her sights set on challenging for the FHSAA record set this weekend by North Browwar's Alexa Schwartz (154-04).
It's not a matter of if those records will fall, it's when.
"Consistency is key. The more consistent you are, the more ready for that big throw you'll be," Webb said. "Shelby is one of the most consistent javelin throwers; week to week she's always within five feet of her PR if. She's ready right now to pop a big throw."
The Nike Outdoor Nationals in Oregon beckon from June 19-22. It's there Plasier is looking to beat the school record and potentially hit 150 feet.
"Now that she has that gold in hand, she's even more hungry to keep that top spot," Webb said.
At nationals she'll be pushed by the best of the best. But on Friday, she was on cruise control with a win over defending 3A state champ Makala Sims — a Fort Walton Beach senior who threw 129-01 — and teammates Lilly Dennison and Ella Farley, who finished third and sixth on the podium.
"I really enjoyed it because I was joined by some of my closest friends on the podium," said Plasier, who had her mom, dad, grandma, aunt and uncle on hand to celebrate. "It's not so much competitive between us. We root each other on. It's friendly competition."
But afterward the weather delays came, Plasier's event the only one to go on as scheduled for Niceville as the 3A meet was pushed to Saturday. So she turned into a cheerleader for her teammates.
"I was done early so it was it was little bit different," Plasier said. "It didn't feel like a real meet, but I had a lot of fun being there for my teammates."
She had a lot to cheer on Saturday as the Niceville girls finished third in the team race with 63 points behind only state champion Dillard (96) and runner-up Miami Northwestern 85.5.
Teammate Riley Tharpe finished with bronze in the high jump after clearing 5 feet, 5 3/4 inches, while Saylor Tolbert and Carson Fayard placed fourth and fifth in the 400m hurdles with PRs of 1:01.96 and 1:02.60.
In the pole vault, Taylor Kerle cleared 10-10 and Katelyn LaGrosse 10-04 to finish fifth and seventh, respectively. Kimah Allen also finished fifth in the shot put with PR throw of 42-09 ¾, while Brynn Buelow placed fifth in the 400m with a PR time of 55.48.
In the relays, the 4x400m quartet of Buelow, Fayard, Gracie Dennison and Tolbert finished third in 3:48.26 and the 4x800m quartet of Harmony Holland, Riley Marise, Reese Putman and Katelyn Tomaschko finished fifth in 9:27.65.
Outside of Niceville, Choctawhatchee had a couple of standout medalist efforts.
The 4x100m relay team of Abbey Leigh Larsen, Adriel Jones, Olivia Alexandre and Saniy Lindsey PR'd in 47.76 to finish seventh and Isabelle Harter ran an 11:03.31 in the 3200m to finish eighth.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Niceville finished 3rd in FHSAA 3A track & field behind Shelby Plasier
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She'd been a gifted softball player in a sea of gifted Niceville-area stars her entire life, yet she was burnt out. She needed a change. It turns out she didn't have to look far, Emily Webb and the lauded Niceville track and field throws program a natural fit.
"I feel like we connected really well from the start," Plasier said of Webb. "She believed in me. She's one of the only coaches I've had who genuinely cares about her athletes outside the sport as well. There's more to it than the sport. She wants you to succeed off the field as well."
Vote now: NWF Daily News Athlete of the Week presented by Florida Power & Light
Her first year was solid with the javelin, the freshman gaining confidence when she cleared the 100-foot milestone. It helped to be in the midst of Elaina Perkins, who won the 4A state tournament with a school-record throw of 146 feet, 3 inches. That same meet Plasier threw 117-08, good for seventh place and motivation that she'd found her calling.
That motivation took her to the weight room. Took her to finding consistency in offseason drills. Took her to a mindset of carrying the javelin torch for Perkins, who was off to throw at the University of Florida on scholarship.
She did all three as just a sophomore, improving her PR by 27 feet and easily winning the 3A state championship Friday with a throw of 145-03, right on the cusp of breaking Perkins' mark with her sights set on challenging for the FHSAA record set this weekend by North Browwar's Alexa Schwartz (154-04).
It's not a matter of if those records will fall, it's when.
"Consistency is key. The more consistent you are, the more ready for that big throw you'll be," Webb said. "Shelby is one of the most consistent javelin throwers; week to week she's always within five feet of her PR if. She's ready right now to pop a big throw."
The Nike Outdoor Nationals in Oregon beckon from June 19-22. It's there Plasier is looking to beat the school record and potentially hit 150 feet.
"Now that she has that gold in hand, she's even more hungry to keep that top spot," Webb said.
At nationals she'll be pushed by the best of the best. But on Friday, she was on cruise control with a win over defending 3A state champ Makala Sims — a Fort Walton Beach senior who threw 129-01 — and teammates Lilly Dennison and Ella Farley, who finished third and sixth on the podium.
"I really enjoyed it because I was joined by some of my closest friends on the podium," said Plasier, who had her mom, dad, grandma, aunt and uncle on hand to celebrate. "It's not so much competitive between us. We root each other on. It's friendly competition."
But afterward the weather delays came, Plasier's event the only one to go on as scheduled for Niceville as the 3A meet was pushed to Saturday. So she turned into a cheerleader for her teammates.
"I was done early so it was it was little bit different," Plasier said. "It didn't feel like a real meet, but I had a lot of fun being there for my teammates."
She had a lot to cheer on Saturday as the Niceville girls finished third in the team race with 63 points behind only state champion Dillard (96) and runner-up Miami Northwestern 85.5.
Teammate Riley Tharpe finished with bronze in the high jump after clearing 5 feet, 5 3/4 inches, while Saylor Tolbert and Carson Fayard placed fourth and fifth in the 400m hurdles with PRs of 1:01.96 and 1:02.60.
In the pole vault, Taylor Kerle cleared 10-10 and Katelyn LaGrosse 10-04 to finish fifth and seventh, respectively. Kimah Allen also finished fifth in the shot put with PR throw of 42-09 ¾, while Brynn Buelow placed fifth in the 400m with a PR time of 55.48.
In the relays, the 4x400m quartet of Buelow, Fayard, Gracie Dennison and Tolbert finished third in 3:48.26 and the 4x800m quartet of Harmony Holland, Riley Marise, Reese Putman and Katelyn Tomaschko finished fifth in 9:27.65.
Outside of Niceville, Choctawhatchee had a couple of standout medalist efforts.
The 4x100m relay team of Abbey Leigh Larsen, Adriel Jones, Olivia Alexandre and Saniy Lindsey PR'd in 47.76 to finish seventh and Isabelle Harter ran an 11:03.31 in the 3200m to finish eighth.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Niceville finished 3rd in FHSAA 3A track & field behind Shelby Plasier
Continue reading...
