Cailla Prisco
Sports Editor
Learning a new event can be tough, but first year Shannon Parks is proving that statement wrong. Still in her first year at Keene State, Parks has already learned two new field events including the hammer throw and the javelin throw, and excelled in both.
She was recently awarded with the Little East Conference (LEC) Field athlete of the Week title after her successful performance at the Bridgewater State Invitational on March 23. She has since qualified for the New England Division III Championships in the discus event and the shot put event.
Head Coach Tom Pickering said that she could “potentially be the best female field athlete Keene State has ever had.”
With such success early into her college athletic career, Parks is proving that anything is possible, even learning new events and excelling in them.
“We have practice every day besides Sunday, and lift around four days a week,” said Parks. “It’s mostly about building up strength, and we have two technical practices a week where we just go through our event and fine tune things.”
With so many practices, Parks has to find time to perfect her skills as well as keep up her strength training.
“She never complains at practice about what we are doing, she is very trainable and coachable. She just wants to get better so she’ll do whatever we ask of her, it’s wonderful working with her,” said Pickering.
Parks competed last semester during indoor track and field and had an outstanding record, finishing first in the shot put at the LEC Championships, throwing 12.16 meters, about an inch short of the Keene State all-time record.
According to Pickering, indoor and outdoor field events are very different, and even require different equipment.
“The conditions are a little different, and the ball is metal and more compact than plastic, it can be heavier than indoor events.” said Pickering. “The shot put is the same event, the rules are the same, but outdoor field events for the first few weeks in New England are cold and windy, it’s just a different feeling outdoors. The other events are completely different, outdoors you have hammer, discus, and javelin and none of those are indoor events,” said Pickering.
Parks has surpassed all expectations when it comes to the shot put, hopeful to break the Keene State outdoor shot put record this season.
“She is a dedicated enough athlete, young and really bought it, that she has a shot to be possibly the best overall thrower we have ever had here, she is showing that type of buy in and dedication,” said Pickering.
Parks will be competing at the Silfen Invitational at Connecticut College on Friday, April 12, and Saturday April, 13, with a start time of 10 a.m.
Cailla Prisco can be contacted
at cprisco@kscequinox.com
