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  • Posted July 24, 2012 12:01 a.m.
  • Pavlu moves up in rankings to second place nationally

  • Bettering his personal best in the discus just short of 20 feet, Macksville's Kolton Pavlu easily took first place in the USA Track and Field meet held at Wichita State University's campus on Saturday, July 21, throwing the discus in the 13&14-year-old division 171' 06.50”.


    Pavlu's previous personal best was 152' 07.00”, winning the Central Prairie League's junior high meet discus title in Hoisington last May.


    Pavlu, who lives in Garfield and is a recent Macksville eighth grade graduate, threw his first three throws a little over 160', 164' and 161'. His final throw of 171' 06.50” puts him in second place in the 2012 Junior Olympics, USATF & AAU National Rankings. His feat qualifies him as a USA Track & Field National Elite Youth All-American.


    And if that wasn't enough, it could have been even better at the W.S.U. meet, considering his first practice toss went past the 180' mark and would have been the top throw in the rankings this year. The 180' warm-up throw would have passed the currently #1 ranked Bakersfield, California contestant's 179' 06.70”. But unfortunately practice tosses do not count.


    Earlier this summer throwing the discus, Pavlu had placed 27th in the nation throwing 146' 04.50” at a Junior Olympics meet held at Garden Plain in June.


    Pavlu also placed first in the shot put at the Wichita meet. He is ranked 55th in the national rankings with a toss of 42' 09”.


    Early in July, Pavlu attended a KU Track & Field Camp where he learned new discus throwing techniques. This has really seemed to pay off in a big way.


    While at KU Pavlu rubbed elbows with some of the discus throwing greats, especially Andy Kokhanovsky who is in his seventh year on the KU coaching staff – a former Olympian who represented the Ukraine in the discus – an All-American and national champion.


    Pavlu's camp roommate was Connor McMullen from Louisburg, Kansas, one of the top discus throwers for 15 & 16-year-olds in the nation.


    Pavlu's discus and shot put coach is Shari Norman from Stafford who is the junior high track coach for Macksville. Norman set records in the weight events while attending Stafford High School and later on at Pittsburg State University.


    The Ranking System is a database of thousands of performances by thousands of athletes during the outdoor track and field season. These performances are from the USATF and AAU Associations, Regional and National Championships, from CYO meets, from the largest most popular invitational meets, and from local meets.

     

     

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