By Chris Parker
Licking’s Jadyn Barnes didn’t take immediately to the javelin when she first started throwing the implement, but she soon found a love for it.
“Our track coach said ‘we have this sport in track I really think you would like’. He started introducing to javelin,” Barnes said. “From the start I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I started winning meets and I started having people talking to me about it. I have had some colleges talk to me.”
Javelin has become so important in the Barnes household that it affects wedding dates.
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“It (her sister’s wedding) was going to be today. Then they looked at it and said ‘oh no, that is state’, so they moved it a day after,” Barnes said.
Now Barnes can take a gold medal as an accessory for her bridesmaid’s dress on Sunday after a big final throw on Saturday.
Barnes was in third place heading into he final round of throws.
“I wasn’t throwing as good as I was wanting,” Barnes said. “My dad was on my side. He is my motivator. He said ‘you are here. You are in the game. Now win it. I got back there and thought ‘come on Jadyn, you have to do this. I just let God do the rest.”
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Barnes unleashed a throw of 124’2 on her final attempt to overtake Buffalo’s Shelby Samek for first place.
“I was going through all the emotions,” Barnes said. “It is an amazing feeling to get to come home to your family and say ‘I am a state champion’.”
Samek finished second with a throw of 123’11. Fair Grove’s Brooke Daniels also earned all-state honors at 120’6.
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