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| Cox wins state shot put title, adds silver in discus for Central Heights Vikings |
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| Sports | |||
| Written by David Wolman | |||
| Friday, 02 July 2010 08:00 | |||
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Discus or shot put? The debate had raged all spring as to which event Central Heights junior Marissa Cox was better in. She even chimed in with her own opinion.  “Definitely, discus,” she said. Turns out, Cox, the Tri-County Track and Field Female Athlete of the Year, was pretty darn good in both events. Coming into the state track and field championships in late May in Wichita, she held the top distance in Class 3A in the discus and one of the top marks in the shot put. But when the medals were handed out at Wichita State University’s Cessna Stadium, she stood a couple of steps higher to receive her first-place medal in the discus after registering a winning toss of 39 feet, 8 inches. She placed third in the discus and tied for 10th in the high jump. “I was just stunned,” Cox said. “It was a crazy feeling and just amazing because discus felt like a possibility, but to do it in the event that I struggle in more was just unreal.” Struggle or no struggles, she claimed her first state championship. Even with a state title in her possession, Cox said that she is still a work in progress in the shot put. But, with the help of assistant coach Kevin Tooley she said she believes she has made tremendous strides in the event. One of the most helpful pointers Tooley has provided Cox is for her to keep her hips back. She also changed her throwing technique during this season from a spinning to a gliding one. Apparently, Tooley made all of the right moves. “He’s a really good coach because he knows exactly what he’s talking about,” Cox said. “I think a lot of what I do in throwing goes a lot to him because he’s been at every practice and he knows exactly what I’m doing wrong. So, if I’m not having separation, if I’m not throwing fast enough or there’s anything I’m doing wrong, he’ll tell me.” Winning a state title didn’t come easy for Cox. Even before she stepped into Cessna Stadium, she knew she would have a battle on her hands with Smith Center senior Morgan Darden and Lyons junior Anna Nusser, both of whom had registered throws of more than 40 feet during the season. Nusser set the tone right off the bat with a toss of 39-5 in her first preliminary attempt. She fouled on four of her final five attempts, but her initial throw still stood atop the leader board for the remainder of the preliminary round and the first flight of the finals. Cox, however, registered a toss of 39-4.5 to place her one-half inch behind Nusser. Then came time for Cox to launch her second attempt in the finals, she finally broke through, recording a distance of 39-8 to take over first place. But in the back of her mind, she was aware of the capabilities of Nusser as well as Darden. “I was still very nervous because I knew the Lyons girl had an opportunity to get a really good throw out there,” Cox said. “I knew it wasn’t over yet. The deal was not sealed.” The deal would be sealed a few minutes later. Despite fouling on her final attempt, Cox’s throw of 39-8 held up, allowing her to be crowned state champion. She would like nothing more than to repeat in the event next season, as well as claim a state title in her better event — discus. “That would be an amazing thing,” she said.
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