4 years in the making: Karnes 'ready' for state
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
It has been four years in the making for McClain senior Tara Karnes, but the 2014 Division II State Track & Field Championships are waiting for her this Saturday as she'll get to live out the goal she set for herself her freshman year.
Karnes, who also plays basketball for the Lady Tigers, didn't start her track & field career until she was in the eighth grade, where she realized she might be onto something in the sport, focusing on the shot put and discus events.
"I didn't throw in seventh grade, but I joined track in the eighth grade. My sister, Megan, had done shot put and discus, so that's where I focused my time. My first couple practices, I figured out I was pretty good at shot put so I focused on that more than discus.
"I always tell everyone if I had an hour to practice, I would practice 50 minutes of shot and 10 minutes of disc."
All that work paid off at the district championships where she was down to a final throw, in sixth place, knowing it was all or nothing for not just her goal of reaching state, but possibly her high school career.
[[In-content Ad]]"At the regional meet, I was in the first flight which is unusual for me, because I'm usually in the last," Karnes said. "I was the fourth thrower, and I got up and I threw 36, 38, 36, which put me in the finals, which I was OK with.
"In finals, I was sitting in seventh. I had a tie with another girl at 38, and her next longest throw was better than mine. So, I threw a 38-1, and that put me into sixth place, then another 36 and I was down to my last throw."
In sports, there are career-defining moments all athletes have. Sometimes those moments are big, sometimes not so much, but Karnes' moment came right before her final throw at districts.
It defined her track & field career.
"I told myself, 'it is now or never,'" she said. "This is either career-ending, or I get to go to state and break the school record. I have no idea where the throw came from, but I threw a 39-8, so that got me the school record, which was a big goal of mine."
With the school record in hand and a place in the top four (the top four athletes advance to state), Karnes had to sit and wait, or more like pace and wait, to see how the fifth- and sixth-place throwers fared.
"I had to wait out two other throwers to throw again," Karnes said. "I was standing with Coach (Mike) Francis covering my eyes, turning around, pacing, but thankfully it worked out."
When the season began, Karnes knew she had an opportunity to compete at her highest level in the sport because she began this spring throwing where she left off from the 2013 season.
"Coming into the beginning of the year, the first meet of the season, I threw a 38-2, which is what I ended last year with, so I was really excited and thought 'if I'm starting where I ended last year, then maybe I can get higher into this year,'" Karnes said. "My distances kind of fluctuated a lot depending how fast I was in the ring, because that's really the deciding factor.
"I fluctuated between 38 and 37 all season, back and forth, and couldn't get really up there yet. At our league meet, I threw a 38-9, and that's the furthest I've thrown all season. At districts, I repeated that, so I was only hoping at regionals I could throw further than that. That 39-8, I can't even tell anyone the feeling of what that was like."
Coach Francis, who has coached Karnes for the past four seasons, spoke about what it was like see Karnes' progression throughout her career.
"This season has been pretty good. She always has improved every track meet, especially with the shot put," he said. "It was kind of that goal to get the school record this year, and she finally got it on her very last throw, at the regionals, which is a nice time to peak.
"We didn't have to do much with her form, except with her height. She's had good extension, good form and gets through the ring pretty good. It's been nice to watch her progress over the last four years."
Girls varsity coach Lori Jones said Karnes is "a leader."
"Tara's been a good leader of the team," Jones said. "She definitely took a leadership role this year, especially with the throwers. I know she gets everybody going.
"It's kind of come full circle. She came in as a hard worker her freshman year and has just built on that. She's worked tremendously hard over the past few years to get to this point, and we're excited to see what she can do at the state meet."
Jones then spoke about the moment she knew Karnes advanced to state.
"I wasn't even over there," Jones said. "I don't typically come over and watch because we joke that throws her game off. When she came over and held up her four fingers, I was very excited. Then she said she broke the school record, and I was even more excited for her.
"To have somebody represent the school at state, she should be proud, and we're proud of her."
Now with Saturday being the last event for Karnes in competing at the high school level in any sport, she said it has started to hit her that "this is it."
She described it as "bittersweet."
"I told myself when I was driving to practice (Monday), that I could turn in my jersey (Saturday), but that didn't seem right to me, because I've kept it in my closet for four years," she said. "I don't think it's really set in yet, but I'm sure after I throw on Saturday, it'll be bittersweet. I do have a chance, if I want to, to throw in college (at Wilmington College)."
Coach Francis described Karnes as being "willing to learn."
"She's always willing to learn. I've had her in class too, and she does the same thing in the classroom," he said. "She's a good student, and usually good students are able to pick up on technique and transfer that athletically. She's done a good job with that."
Karnes, who thanked her family, coaches and all those who have supported her, has one goal for Saturday.
"Hopefully I can throw well enough to get to the finals," Karnes said. "I just want to be on the podium this weekend, the top eight, and throw a better throw than I threw at regionals.
"I'm a little nervous just because a lot of people that I'm going up against have thrown at the state meet before, yet I haven't. I don't really know the stadium, I don't know the rings and I've never been in that kind of atmosphere, but I'm excited for it.
"I'm not one that gets really nervous until it comes down to the end, because I can just go out there and throw what I throw. As long as I do my best, it's a good day for me."
Karnes, who also plays basketball for the Lady Tigers, didn't start her track & field career until she was in the eighth grade, where she realized she might be onto something in the sport, focusing on the shot put and discus events.
"I didn't throw in seventh grade, but I joined track in the eighth grade. My sister, Megan, had done shot put and discus, so that's where I focused my time. My first couple practices, I figured out I was pretty good at shot put so I focused on that more than discus.
"I always tell everyone if I had an hour to practice, I would practice 50 minutes of shot and 10 minutes of disc."
All that work paid off at the district championships where she was down to a final throw, in sixth place, knowing it was all or nothing for not just her goal of reaching state, but possibly her high school career.
[[In-content Ad]]"At the regional meet, I was in the first flight which is unusual for me, because I'm usually in the last," Karnes said. "I was the fourth thrower, and I got up and I threw 36, 38, 36, which put me in the finals, which I was OK with.
"In finals, I was sitting in seventh. I had a tie with another girl at 38, and her next longest throw was better than mine. So, I threw a 38-1, and that put me into sixth place, then another 36 and I was down to my last throw."
In sports, there are career-defining moments all athletes have. Sometimes those moments are big, sometimes not so much, but Karnes' moment came right before her final throw at districts.
It defined her track & field career.
"I told myself, 'it is now or never,'" she said. "This is either career-ending, or I get to go to state and break the school record. I have no idea where the throw came from, but I threw a 39-8, so that got me the school record, which was a big goal of mine."
With the school record in hand and a place in the top four (the top four athletes advance to state), Karnes had to sit and wait, or more like pace and wait, to see how the fifth- and sixth-place throwers fared.
"I had to wait out two other throwers to throw again," Karnes said. "I was standing with Coach (Mike) Francis covering my eyes, turning around, pacing, but thankfully it worked out."
When the season began, Karnes knew she had an opportunity to compete at her highest level in the sport because she began this spring throwing where she left off from the 2013 season.
"Coming into the beginning of the year, the first meet of the season, I threw a 38-2, which is what I ended last year with, so I was really excited and thought 'if I'm starting where I ended last year, then maybe I can get higher into this year,'" Karnes said. "My distances kind of fluctuated a lot depending how fast I was in the ring, because that's really the deciding factor.
"I fluctuated between 38 and 37 all season, back and forth, and couldn't get really up there yet. At our league meet, I threw a 38-9, and that's the furthest I've thrown all season. At districts, I repeated that, so I was only hoping at regionals I could throw further than that. That 39-8, I can't even tell anyone the feeling of what that was like."
Coach Francis, who has coached Karnes for the past four seasons, spoke about what it was like see Karnes' progression throughout her career.
"This season has been pretty good. She always has improved every track meet, especially with the shot put," he said. "It was kind of that goal to get the school record this year, and she finally got it on her very last throw, at the regionals, which is a nice time to peak.
"We didn't have to do much with her form, except with her height. She's had good extension, good form and gets through the ring pretty good. It's been nice to watch her progress over the last four years."
Girls varsity coach Lori Jones said Karnes is "a leader."
"Tara's been a good leader of the team," Jones said. "She definitely took a leadership role this year, especially with the throwers. I know she gets everybody going.
"It's kind of come full circle. She came in as a hard worker her freshman year and has just built on that. She's worked tremendously hard over the past few years to get to this point, and we're excited to see what she can do at the state meet."
Jones then spoke about the moment she knew Karnes advanced to state.
"I wasn't even over there," Jones said. "I don't typically come over and watch because we joke that throws her game off. When she came over and held up her four fingers, I was very excited. Then she said she broke the school record, and I was even more excited for her.
"To have somebody represent the school at state, she should be proud, and we're proud of her."
Now with Saturday being the last event for Karnes in competing at the high school level in any sport, she said it has started to hit her that "this is it."
She described it as "bittersweet."
"I told myself when I was driving to practice (Monday), that I could turn in my jersey (Saturday), but that didn't seem right to me, because I've kept it in my closet for four years," she said. "I don't think it's really set in yet, but I'm sure after I throw on Saturday, it'll be bittersweet. I do have a chance, if I want to, to throw in college (at Wilmington College)."
Coach Francis described Karnes as being "willing to learn."
"She's always willing to learn. I've had her in class too, and she does the same thing in the classroom," he said. "She's a good student, and usually good students are able to pick up on technique and transfer that athletically. She's done a good job with that."
Karnes, who thanked her family, coaches and all those who have supported her, has one goal for Saturday.
"Hopefully I can throw well enough to get to the finals," Karnes said. "I just want to be on the podium this weekend, the top eight, and throw a better throw than I threw at regionals.
"I'm a little nervous just because a lot of people that I'm going up against have thrown at the state meet before, yet I haven't. I don't really know the stadium, I don't know the rings and I've never been in that kind of atmosphere, but I'm excited for it.
"I'm not one that gets really nervous until it comes down to the end, because I can just go out there and throw what I throw. As long as I do my best, it's a good day for me."