Laney earns state berth

Comes in 2nd in the shot put 

Morgan Laney of Del Norte High competes in the shot put at a meet in Crescent City on May 13. On Friday, Laney earned a second place finish at the Northcoast Section Meet of Champions in Berkeley. She earned a berth to the state championships in Clovis next week by placing in the top four. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

The Del Norte High School junior was already in fourth place at the Northcoast Section Meet of Champions in Berkeley with a throw of 38-3 feet by the time her final attempt came up. The top four earn a berth in state, so regardless of how she fared, Laney knew she was state-bound.

That fact took a lot of pressure off her, and she just “threw it.”

“I didn’t think about it and it paid off,” she said.

Laney ended up with a final throw of 39-08.50 to take second overall out of 23 participants.

“I’m really excited,” Laney said by phone Friday. “I didn’t expect to do this well. I was just hoping to take fourth and make it to state.”

Head coach Robyn Parker, whose specialty is in the throwing events, said that she was hit with a flood of emotions when Laney completed her final throw.

“I screamed and started to cry,” she said. “I was glad I was wearing sunglasses.

“All the little things she has learned all year just came together in that one throw,” Parker added.

Before her event began, Laney ran into a problem when she was unable to use the shot put she had used all season.

Because of a dent, NCS officials said it did not pass muster and she had to find another shot put, which they provided for her.

“She was flustered for a few minutes but she pulled herself together and did a really good job,” Parker said.

Laney said that while panic did set in at first, she realized that in the big picture a new shot put was not a key factor to her success.

If she remained calm, remembered what her coach had taught her, and continued to do a good job using her feet, she would be fine, Laney said.

It also helped to have the loud support of cheering teammates and her parents, she said.

Parker said they were so loud Laney told her that “I could hear you a mile away.”

“Yes, I could hear them,” Laney said. “It makes a big difference when you’re supported like that.”

She said it was especially nice to have her parents in Berkeley cheering her on.

“They are very proud,” she said. “They were the loudest ones out there.”

The top finisher in the shot put was Danielle Ioramo of James Logan, who finished with a throw of 40-07.50.

Laney qualified for Berkeley with a throw of 38-3, which earned her second place at the Northcoast Section Redwood Empire Championships in Rohnert Park on May 21.

Last year, as a sophomore, Laney qualified for the Meet of Champions by placing fifth at the Redwood Empire Championships. In Berkeley, she came in 13th.

The California Intercollegiate Federation State Championships are next Friday and Saturday in Clovis near Fresno.

Laney will take part in the qualifying round Friday night and if she makes it she will take part in the finals Saturday.

The last Del Norte Warrior to make state was pole vaulter Taylor Duncan in 2009. He currently competes in the pole vault at UC Santa Barbara.