River Valley seniors gaining confidence heading into MOAC Track and Field Championships

CALEDONIA — Madison Ward did it once, but she's hoping to do it again.

All the movements and momentum that goes into near-perfect form and technique while throwing the discus snapped into place, and the River Valley senior popped one.

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Unfortunately, that came during a practice and not a meet.

Nevertheless, Ward will be chasing the big one again when she competes in the shot put and discus Tuesday evening at Harding Stadium during the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships.

"I think it’s working technique," Ward said. "Lifting does help a lot, especially in shot, but discus is definitely about technique. We’ve been working on it so we can get more of a push at the end."

Her big one in practice came after focusing on getting that push on her follow through, so she knows what it feels like.

Tough competition upcoming in the throws

Last week at the Marion County Track Meet, she had little trouble in winning the shot put by more than two feet with a throw of 33 feet and a quarter inch. In the discus, she won by 11 feet with a heave of 110-9.

In the MOAC, Galion's Miranda Stone is a former state placer who will be competing at Duke next year. She set a season mark for herself at the Marion Night Invitational with a 39-6 and is undefeated this year in the shot put. She's won her last four discus events and holds a 142-11 personal record this year.

But Ward will be in the mix to finish in the top three of each discipline and earn all-league honors with throwers like Mikka Knapik of Clear Fork, Braylee Sturts of Shelby, Highland's Kynzie Green, Emma Bolton and Margaret Hennell and Pleasant's Abi and Lily Wright.

"I feel like I’d rather focus on myself, especially since it’s at Harding," she said. "Especially in disc, I don’t usually throw well there. It’s one of those places I never really do good. For me in disc, it’s about me throwing better than I have in the past."

As a freshman, Ward topped out at 25-5.5 in the shot put and 83-3 in the discus and as a sophomore her PR in the shot went to 29-0.5. Last year, she was sixth in the Division II district at 109-6 and seventh in the shot in 33-6.5.

"I need to really focus on that over the next couple of weeks before districts because there’s some really good throwers there. I just need to work better on finishing. That’s my biggest problem right now," she said.

Douce now has 'swagger'

Another River Valley athlete looking to finish his career on an upswing is Gabe Douce.

"I’m feeling confident. With indoor (track), I kind of surprised myself with state. My goal was to make it there and I cut off two seconds from my indoor PR," he said of his 800-meter run.

Douce finished third in the Division II-III state finals with a 1:57.35, which bettered a 1:58.72 he posted in the 2023 outdoor track season at the district meet.

"After that (performance at indoor state at the SPIRE Institute), I was like this is my year. We’re going into the MOAC and district with confidence," he continued. "I’m confident I can beat anyone on that track. I’m in good shape, so I’m going in with confidence and a little bit of swagger honestly."

The MOAC running finals will be Thursday in Hardin Stadium, site of his all-time best performance. At the Marion Night Invitational, Douce busted loose with a 1:55.55 to finish second behind Lexington's Chance Basilone at 1:55.05, but head of MOAC rival Jace Young of Ontario by three seconds.

Douce said he's in the right head space right now.

"If you’re going in thinking I don’t know if I’m going to win, or these kids might be faster than me, or I may not have a good day — if that’s what’s playing in your head the whole time — that’s what’s going to happen," he said. "If you go in with confidence in your training and confidence In God and that He’ll get you through, He’ll give you strength."

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Area Conference Track Meets Schedule

● Mid Ohio Athletic Conference at Marion Harding's Harding Stadium: Tuesday at 4 p.m. — Field event finals, running prelims. Thursday at 4:30 p.m. — Track finals.

● Northwest Central Conference at Hardin Northern: Thursday at 5 p.m. Saturday at 10 a.m.

● Knox Morrow Athletic Conference at Fredericktown: Tuesday at 5 p.m.

● Central Buckeye Conference at Benjamin Logan: Tuesday at 5 p.m. Friday at 5 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: River Valley seniors gaining confidence heading into MOAC Track and Field Championships