By Cooper Chadwick
Hoping to make it to state this year, Conway Springs senior Hayley Pauly competes in the discus, shot put and javelin.
Over the offseason, Pauly attended a throwing camp coached by former college athletes and worked individually to improve her technique.
“I am really wanting to improve my discus and javelin,” Pauly said. “Our team got a new throwing coach this year that has been very helpful and brought in a lot of throwing knowledge. Some of my teammates and I went out to the throwing rings and practiced during our offseason when we weren’t playing basketball.”
Pauly has big goals for herself and her team this season beyond just qualifying for state.
“I am hoping to improve on my PRs in all three events this year,” Pauly said. “A team goal we have this year is for the girls to place first in regionals.”
As a senior, Pauly sees herself as a leader for her team, especially among the throwers.
“I try to be someone that consistently works hard and sets a positive example for the younger members on our team,” Pauly said. “We have several seniors on the team this year, but us throwers like to say we have our own little family and we are always cheering each other on at the meets. There are only three girl throwers on the team this year too, so we are all very close and we push each other to always do our best.”
