Dons' 'field' day

SPANISH FORK — For the past few years, Spanish Fork High School has been known as a bastion for speed.

With the help of top-notch sprinters, notably juniors Natalie and Nachelle Stewart, the Dons have been a perennial contender at the state track meet. A lack of supporting points, however, hindered Spanish Fork's efforts to dethrone three-time defending 5A champ Davis at last year's state championships.

This season, however, the Dons have rounded into a more balanced group, with members of the distance crew and particularly the throwing squad out to prove the Dons are more than just a one-family team.

"It's about time," said senior thrower Becca Rowley. "All points count; it's not just what our runners do anymore. How we do out in the field makes a difference."

Rowley, a standout in the discus throw, has teamed with juniors Kelly Roach and Natasha Sanborne to provide the Dons with a force to be reckoned with in the field events. Rowley is one of 5A's top contenders in the discus, with Roach almost a lock to score in the javelin throw. With Sanborne along to aid in the shot put and discus, Spanish Fork coach Bart Thompson has the luxury of enjoying a few more insurance points.

"That's where our state title chances are going to come," he said. "If we're in the top two in the state, it'll be because of our throwers and our jumpers and our distance runners who have supplemented those Stewart points."

Rowley in particular has goals that include much more than just supplemental points. A soft-spoken yet determined leader, Rowley has overcome a number of devastating injuries during her senior campaign to become one of the state's premier discus throwers.

At the Bulldog Invitational in the early season, she took home top honors in both the discus and shot put, later taking first in the disc at the Utah County Invite. After winning a 4A team title with Spanish Fork in 2005, Rowley is determined to help her side claim the 5A trophy this season.

In Roach, the Dons have a junior who has developed into a top-notch javelin thrower and has claimed her share of first-place finishes at various meets this season. She was first at the Bulldog and Utah County Invitationals, with a second-place finish at the Central Utah Invitational.

A student of the sport, Roach has gone on her own to get private help during the off-season to improve her prowess. Now she says she has benefited from a newfound confidence that has permeated the entire team as well as from event-specific coaching at Spanish Fork.