Plenty To Measure Self Against Rivalries Help Groh To Excel In Discus For West Valley

Considering the wet weather this spring, it’s not surprising Shannon Groh is one of the best discus throwers in the state.

The West Valley junior has hurled the plate 138 feet, 9 inches. That’s 1 inch behind the recent personal record of friendly rival Ashley Pardun of Cheney. They sit fourth and fifth in the state, first and second among 3A throwers.

“Her sophomore year, we said `Let’s try her in discus,”’ WV throws coach Howard Dolphin said. “She kind of took to that like a duck to water. She had a good feel for it. In the throws, it takes someone who has a feel. Some kids throw, but they never get a feel for it. She seems to have it.

“She’s a good athlete. That helps in the discus; that’s a very athletic event.”

Her expectations are in sync with her coach. She expects to hit 140 feet sometime during the three-week postseason run and sees herself beyond 150 next year, something only a dozen high schools girls have accomplished in Washington.

Postseason track meets started this week. The Frontier League District 7 3A meet begins this afternoon at West Valley.

“What we look for is consistency,” Dolphin said. “Once in awhile someone will hit a big one, but they’re not able to come back and do it again.”

Dolphin explained that good throwers often reach a consistent level, dip and then rise again.

Groh has consistently been around 135 until last Saturday, when she won the Strandberg Invitational at Central Valley without cracking 130.

“I’m kind of looking for her to take that next jump in one of these big meets,” Dolphin said.

Groh is expecting it, too, but she has her eye on Pardun. They’ve met three times with Groh winning twice. But it was Pardun who got the PR last week when the two juniors went head-to-head in a dual meet.

“I better beat her,” Groh said. “She’s ahead of me (this year), and last year she beat me. It better not happen again.”

Groh’s PR last year was 125 and Pardun’s was 118. At state, Pardun was near her best and Groh admittedly choked.

The rivalry is fun as well as motivating.

“She’s really nice, it’s hard to be real competitive,” Groh said. “She’s good.”

Groh has another rivalry. It is with her brother, Brad.

Now a freshman hurdler at Eastern Washington University, last year Brad Groh had a storybook year - all-league in football, MVP in basketball and a two-event champion scoring 25 points for a track team that finished second in the State 3A meet.

Like her brother, Shannon is a three-sport athlete, competing in volleyball, basketball and track.

“I’ve been playing basketball since I was little, but track has become fun,” she said. “In track, it’s a learning thing and you always want to better yourself. Basketball is my favorite because I like being physical. But I know I’m not going to make it in basketball. In basketball, I play post and I’m 5-7, 5-8, 5-9, something like that. But I’m throwing 138. I’ll probably go to school for track, but I’d like to do both.”

Sounds a lot like big brother.

“All through high school, I’ve heard, `You’re Brad Groh’s little sister. You’re Brad Groh’s little sister,”’ she said. “Finally I yelled at my weight-training coach, `I’m not Brad Groh’s little sister. I’m Shannon Groh.’ He calls me Miss Groh now.”

In truth, being Brad Groh’s little sister isn’t a burden.

“It’s motivation to live up to his name,” she said. “Being behind him gave me a chance to excel, to show I’m not Brad, I’m Shannon. I went to state in track as a sophomore and he didn’t make it until he was a junior, so I’m one up on him there. This year, I’m looking to place first, he didn’t do that until he was a senior.”

But when she qualified for state last year, Brad raced across the track to hug his sister.

“I love my brother,” she said. “If I didn’t have him, I don’t know what I would have been able to do. He’s my No. 1 fan.”

This sidebar appeared with the story: Postseason track schedule

Today 4A District 8 at Central Valley, 5 p.m.

3A District 7 at West Valley, 3:30 p.m.

Friday

4A District 8 at CV, 5 p.m. (8 advance)

3A District 7 at WV, 2 p.m. (3 or 4 advance)

Saturday

Northeast A sub-district at Colfax, noon (3 advance)

Panorama League at Colville, 10 a.m. (4 advance)

Tuesday

2A District 7 prelims at Whitworth, 2 p.m.

Thursday, May 18

3A Eastern Regional at Richland, 6 p.m.

B District 7 at Whitworth (4 advance)

Friday, May 19

4A Eastern Regional at Pasco, 5 p.m.

3A Eastern Regional at Richland, 4:30 (2 advance)

2A District 7 at Whitworth, 2 p.m. (2 advance)

Saturday, May 20

4A Eastern Regional at Pasco, noon (4 advance)

1A District 5-6-7 at Ephrata, noon (2 advance)

Friday, May 26

4A/3A State at Tacoma

2A/1A/B State at EWU

Saturday, May 27

4A/3A State at Tacoma

2A/1A/B State at EWU