What Can't She Throw? Indoor National Shot Put Champ Rivera Becomes Outdoor Javelin Champ
Sophia Rivera, one the country's most versatile throwers, got her weekend off to an appropriate start at the New Balance Nationals on Friday night.
In the first of three events that she'll be competing in at North Carolina's AT&T Stadium, one of the nation's top javelin throwers captured her specialty by a half a foot with a winning toss of 157 feet, 2 inches.
Rivera edged second-place finisher and defending champion Tairyn Montgomery of Redondo Union (CA), who was second at 156-8. Right behind in third was Roseburg (OR) senior Gabrielle Kearny with a heave of 156-0.
"It feels amazing," said Rivera, who last year as a tenth-grader was ninth overall.. "Words can't describe how this feels. The competition is amazing. It's one of the best I have seen in terms of talent. It was close the entire way. It was just amazing."
Rivera, who is also ranked high in the shot put and discus at NBN, has had quite the season with the metal spear. She captured the event at the Penn Relays Carnival and also holds a personal best and nation No. 2 of 175-10, which she did to win the Brentwood Invitational back in April.
Now she's preparing for the Junior Nationals next weekend in Oregon. She's competing at the nationals a few days after coming home from Havana, Cuba, where she was part of Team USA at the Caribbean Scholastic Invitational. In that meet, she was third in the shot, an event she owns a best 51-1.75.
"It was amazing to be able to be there and share our culture with the Cubans; to see how well we both mixed together," she said. "It was phenomenal to be part of something so historical."- Results: Girls Javelin
- Photos: Girls Javelin