Leffler just misses out on shot put gold
Heights star earns highest finish in event at Kansas Relays; will go for discus title today
By Michael Ashford
Saturday, April 19, 2008
LAWRENCE — About the only title Northern Heights’ Jacquelyne Leffler hadn’t won in her magnificent four-year career eluded her for the last time on Friday.
Leffler, a three-time Class 3A State champion in both the shot put and the discus — and the favorite to win both this year — had never won the shot put title at the Kansas Relays, and she will end her career having come as close as one could get.
Leffler, despite a somewhat off day by her standards, finished second in the event to Great Bend’s Alex Hartig. Leffler’s best throw of the day was 42 feet, 8 3/4 inches, almost a full 4 feet off her personal-best throw of 45-6 3/4. Hartig took first place with a throw of 45-3 3/4.
Still, after finishing fifth a year ago and sixth as a sophomore, Leffler walked away pleased with her performance considering it was the highest she had placed in the event at the Kansas Relays.
“I took second, and that’s cool with me,” Leffler said. “You’re never going to turn down a medal.
“There’s a lot of good competition here. This is the first competition I’ve had in a meet this season, and that always brings out the best in people.”
On Friday, battling off-and-on drizzle and a chilly north wind, Leffler cruised into the finals with the second-best throw of the day on her third attempt — which turned out to be her best throw overall.
That’s because she purposely fouled out on her three attempts in the finals after it was clear they would not be enough to overtake Hartig.
“It felt like I was throwing on ice,” Leffler said. “But you can’t blame it on the weather. You have to come prepared for anything.
“I thought my best throw position-wise was probably my second one in the finals. I hit all my positions, I just didn’t have anything behind it.”
Later in the day, Leffler went on to place 14th in the javelin with a throw of 115-1.
She will try for her second straight Kansas Relays discus title today at approximately 1:30 p.m. Leffler won the title last year with a throw of 149-11 and has the best throw in the state at 147-9 this season.