Everett High’s Kirsten Smith shooting to make state in three track and field events

Published 12:14 pm Thursday, May 8, 2008

EVERETT — Kirsten Smith didn’t spend the summer before her senior year of high school catching up on missed sleep. She was too busy getting better.

Three days a week, she went to Everett Memorial Stadium and voluntarily took part in a grueling morning routine that pushed her more than ever before.

“It was probably the hardest workout I’ve ever done in my life,” said Smith, a senior at Everett High School.

Smith is a thrower for the Seagulls’ track and field team. Her events are the shot put, discus and javelin. She’s ranked among the best in the state in all three disciplines.

The track and field postseason began this week. Smith hopes to do well enough at the division and district meets to qualify in all three events for the Class 3A state championships (May 23-24 in Pasco). Arlington’s Kjirsten Jensen is expected to be one of her prime challengers.

If Smith accomplishes her three-pronged goal — her chances seem good, considering she did it last year — she’ll look back on those exhausting summer sessions as a key to success. Each workout included 90 minutes of running. The elements were a half-mile warmup, sprints, running stairs and hills, jumping exercises … and more sprints.

“You don’t want to get up at 8 in the morning and run on your summer vacation,” Smith said, “but I tried to think about this (track season), and that’s what made me do it. And it obviously paid off because I’ve made a huge improvement.”

This season Smith set personal records in all her events. At the first meet of the season she broke a 27-year-old school record with a discus throw of 130 feet, 9 inches.

It might seem odd that throwers — who most people think of as bulky, muscle-bound athletes — would use intense running drills to enhance their performance. But speed and footwork are vital to their success, Everett girls track coach Ned Prouse said.

“The faster you go, the further you throw,” said Prouse, who estimated that 65 to 80 percent of a thrower’s performance is tied to footwork.

After Smith finished fourth, 11th and 11th in the discus, shot put and javelin, respectively, at the 2007 3A state meet, she discovered the missing ingredient in her approach: speed.

Smith knew who could help. Her step-dad, Lance Swehla, is the Shoreline Community College women’s softball coach. This past summer Swehla set up voluntary workouts for his players at Everett Memorial, and Smith became a regular.

At first things didn’t go smoothly. Smith had a tough time getting through running sessions that made several Shoreline players throw up, Swehla said.

“It’s not for the meek,” Swehla said.

But Smith stuck it out and vastly improved her footwork and explosiveness. She also picked up valuable tips in July at the Iron Wood Thrower Development Camp in Spokane.

It all paid off this spring.

“She’s really put forth a lot of effort. I was really impressed with her,” Prouse said. “She came out this year ready to really do what she needed to do to make herself better. She’s just been working her tail off.”

Prouse isn’t the only one who noticed. Smith accepted an offer to throw after high school for Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. She plans to compete in her three usual events and try the hammer throw.

Smith has come a long way since she randomly tried tossing a shot put at Evergreen Middle School. She ended up loving it and set seventh- and eighth-grade school records.

Her accomplishments continue to surprise her.

“This is nothing that I ever expected. When I first started this in seventh grade I never imagined that I’d do it in college,” said Smith.

Throwing is just one of Smith’s passions. In addition to having taught Sunday School lessons for three years at a church in Edmonds, Smith frequently volunteers for Explorer Search and Rescue, a branch of the county search-and-rescue program. Smith said she’s devoted more than 800 hours the past four-plus years to training and missions, ranging from helping a stranded boy with a broken leg to searching for evidence.

Competing as a thrower and helping save lives are both exciting pursuits, she said. The two interests both require teamwork but they fulfill very different purposes, she said.

“Throwing is more of something for the team and for myself,” said Smith. “For search and rescue my team is doing stuff for other people. It’s about going and helping people.”

Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.