Former CHS manager now a top thrower

PALMER — During her freshman year at Colony High School, Shellina Irwin was the manager of the Knights track and field team. Now, as a junior, Irwin is one of the top throwers in the state.

Irwin heaved the shot put 35 feet and 6 1/2 inches Saturday morning to win the event during the Northern Lights Conference Championships at Palmer High School. It marked Irwin’s first conference title and something she may not have ever accomplished if it wasn’t for a brief moment during a track meet three years ago.

“The coaches saw me throwing the football,” Irwin said moments after winning her region title.

Tom Lincoln and Jeff Nelles, a pair of Colony track coaches, watched as the freshman tossed a football during a track meet at The Dome in Anchorage.

“She was playing football with some guys, she can throw the ball,” Lincoln, Colony’s head coach, said. “We said you’re no longer the manager, you’re going to throw.”

Lincoln said Irwin has a natural ability to throw the shot put and has progressed throughout her career.

She managed to hit 33 feet as a freshman, and was named the team’s rookie of the year. She reached 34-6 1/2 as a sophomore. This year, Irwin holds the top throw in the state, a mark of 35-10 3/4 that she hit during the Skyview Invitational in Soldotna on April 23.

Irwin has finished first in four meets this season, including the NLC Championships, and could become just the third Colony thrower in school history to win a state title during the ASAA/First National Bank Track and Field Championships at Lathrop High School this weekend.

Tom Ojala won the shot put in 1998 and John Fillman was the state discus champion in 2001. Lincoln is confident Irwin can join that group.

“I’ll be disappointed if she doesn’t win the whole thing,” Lincoln said.

Irwin said she didn’t specifically set out to post the state’s top mark in the shot put this year.

“It wasn’t one of my goals, but it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I started throwing,” Irwin said.

Irwin has been thinking about scoring the major victories, such as winning conference and state titles.

As a sophomore, Irwin finished second in the NLC meet with a throw of 34-6 1/2. She was fifth in the state meet at 33-1 1/4.

This year, Irwin said she doesn’t want to be over-confident, but knows she’ll be in the running.

“I hope that I’ll be up there,” Irwin said.

Irwin also has another goal, hitting a distance of 36-6.5 this year. She has a little more incentive too. There could be a steak dinner on the line.

If Irwin does throw that distance, Lincoln has promised the junior the steak dinner. Lincoln said he knows Irwin has that throw in her.

“She’s there, it’s just a matter of getting the right throw, everything perfect,” Lincoln said. “She’s capable of hitting that, absolutely.”

Irwin also throws the discus for the Knights. She finished third at the Skyview Invite with a season-best 99-8. She was also sixth in the NLC meet on Friday, with a throw of 94 feet.

She’ll compete in both events at the state meet this weekend.

Irwin is a multisport athlete at CHS. During the fall, Irwin helped the Colony volleyball team advance to the state title game. She also plays soccer during the spring.

Lincoln said her time is stretched over the different sports, but has tremendous potential in the shot put event.

“She’s real busy. I know volleyball’s her main sport,” Lincoln said. “If she put a little more time (into the shot put), she could be a notch above everyone else.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.