Throwing it out there

HOUSTON — When the 2010 track and field season started, Houston High coaches asked their athletes to each write down three goals. The first is a goal you can hit and the second is a goal you can probably achieve. For the third, Houston coaches asked to set the bar high and shoot for a mark that may be improbable.

Danielle Barney’s No. 1 goal was to qualify for the state tournament in the discus event. Her second goal is to throw the disc 120 feet. The third was to break the state discus record of 143-2.

Barney, who currently has the top discus mark in the state, may not break the state record, but she should accomplish something just about as significant. This season, Barney has the potential to become the first Houston athlete in school history to win an individual state track and field championship.

Houston High School activities director Norm Bouchard, who coached Barney in the discus during her sophomore and junior seasons, certainly sees Barney’s potential to win state gold.

“She’s really progressed,” Bouchard said of Barney, who didn’t start throwing until her sophomore season.

Barney joined the Houston track team as a sprinter, but an injury during her sophomore year sent her from the track to the throwing circle.

“I rolled my ankle really bad so I couldn’t do anything except for throwing,” Barney said.

Barney hovered around the 60-foot mark for much of her sophomore season, but recorded a personal best of 72-11. She said it was a tough start to her throwing career, and didn’t even qualify for the Northern Lights Conference championships as a sophomore.

As a junior, Barney saw significant improvement. She never recorded a mark of less than 85 feet, and she added 20 feet between the start and end of the season.

By the time Barney hit the tail end of her junior season, she was hitting 100 feet. Barney threw 97-8 in the NLC championships. At the state meet, Barney hit 104-2, a mark good enough for a runner-up finish.

Only West Anchorage’s Crystal Tui could beat Barney, posting a mark of 116-3 during the state championships in Fairbanks.

“(My sophomore year) I was awful, I didn’t even make regions,” Barney said. “My junior year, it kicked in.”

This year, Barney has topped 100 feet in three of the four meets she’s competed in. In late April, Barney hit an official personal best of 109-1, which is still the top throw in the state. Barney said she’s eclipsed 110 feet during practice.

Barney has also competed in the shot put, high jump and a pair of relay events this season. But the discus is her preference.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Barney said. “It’s fun when you can throw further than the guys on your team.”

Barney is one of eight throwers in the state to hit the 100-foot mark. West Anchorage freshman Pauline Tufi hit 105-1 in early April and West sophomore Kelly French threw 103-3 at the Palmer Invitational last Friday.

Barney is one of five Mat-Su athletes who currently hold a top mark in the state. Colony junior Shellina Irwin has the top throw in the girls’ shot put. Wasilla sophomore Morgan Dampier is the fastest in the girls’ 400. Palmer junior Jim McCall has the top mark in the boys’ long jump. Wasilla senior John Knowles leads the state in both the boys’ shot put and discus.

Local track programs will compete in the NLC Championships May 14-15 at Palmer High. The state championships is slated for May 21-22 at Lathrop High School in Fairbanks.

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