Kirtland Central javelin thrower full of surprises

SHIPROCK

To better understand Megan Silversmith you have to look at her track record.

As a sophomore she surprised coaches with her vast improvement in the javelin throw, and as a junior she qualified for state in that event in her final attempt of the regular season.
This season, the Kirtland Central senior qualified after only about a week of practice so there is a level of unpredictability about her.

At the Bobcat Quad on March 18, Silversmith admitted she wasn’t doing well but she made the most of her final throw.

“I was really confident…I had to step it up then I just went full on,” she said of her last attempt.

Silversmith said her coaches told her that she showed a lot of power at her point of release as she beat the state qualification mark by six inches with a 103-06 effort.

“It really was my end…and I finished really strong in my throw,” she said.

Silversmith’s ability to recognize how she throws and finishes is a result of a mature athlete, something Kirtland Central head coach Leland Adair said he’s noticed about her.
Adair said with her placing third at last year’s meet left a positive impact.

“Doing what she did at state in the javelin has just kind of turned the lights on,” Adair said.

Over the weekend at the Shiprock Quad meet, Silversmith again powered through and placed first in the javelin with a throw of 92 feet, 8 inches.

She attributes her success from her support system and they help her see areas she needs to improve on.

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