Personal best throws highlight Field of Dreams meet

BY JOHN DECOSTE

jdecoste@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Four of the best young throwers in Nova Scotia took to the Launch Pad field in Port Williams Tuesday for the fourth meet in the 2008 Field of Dreams throwing series. All four were at the top of their game, which made for predictable results.

Garrett Ramey threw a personal best 13.83 metres in the shot put with the 7.26 kg (16-pound) shot, a huge throw that was more than enough to win the competition.

With one meet remaining in this year’s series (Tuesday, June 17 at 6:30 p.m.) prior to the annual Corn Boil Open later in the summer, Ramey maintained the series lead with 3,361 points (an athlete’s top four meets count toward the overall series title).

Andrew MacDonald ran neck-and-neck with Ramey in the shot put competition, consistantly throwing 13-metres plus and ending up with a top throw of 13.35 metres.

Nicole Larade threw a huge personal best 12.82 metres in the shot put and was the top female in the event. Chelsea Whalen, who continues to improve, had a best throw of 12.39 metres, which set a new provincial juvenile girls’ shot put record.

MacDonald tops in discus

In the discus competition, MacDonald had the top result with a 37.74-metre throw. Larade’s best was 36.02 metres and Whalen’s top throw was a personal best 33.23.

Whalen, one of the best all-round throwers in the province for her age (and a triple winner in throwing events at the recent NSSAF provincials), was the only competitor in the javelin and had a top throw of 35.52 metres.

With four meets in the books, Larade remained second overall with 2,638 points. MacDonald was third with 2,271 in three meets. Taya McGillivary, who was present Tuesday but was prevented from competing by a back injury, held on to fourth with 1,701 points in three meets, with Whalen fifth overall at 1,493 in three meets.

Their performances were particularly special for both Ramey, a student at Saint Mary’s, and Larade, an Acadia student, as they both qualified for Canada Games funding.

Launchers Athletics head coach Steve Wohlmuth noted that Launchers club members had turned in a particularly good showing at the NSSAF provincials.

Whalen swept the intermediate girls’ throwing events, MacDonald won the intermediate boys’ shot put and discus and McGillivary won the senior girls’ shot put. MacDonald established two new provincial records and Whalen one.