Smyrna’s Myrissa McFolling-Young
Smyrna’s Myrissa McFolling-Young
Smyrna’s Myrissa McFolling-Young
Smyrna’s Myrissa McFolling-Young
Smyrna’s Myrissa McFolling-Young
Smyrna’s Myrissa McFolling-Young competes in the shot put at the DIAA State Indoor Track and Field Championships at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Hyattsville, MD.
Smyrna’s Myrissa McFolling-Young competes in the shot put at the DIAA State Indoor Track and Field Championships at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Hyattsville, MD.
Smyrna’s Myrissa McFolling-Young competes in the shot put at the DIAA State Indoor Track and Field Championships at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Hyattsville, MD.
MYRISSA McFOLLING-YOUNG, junior, Smyrna girls track and field
THE WEEK: Won the girls shot put with a best toss of 38 feet, 8¼ inches at the DIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday.
THE FAVORITE: McFolling-Young came into the meet with a season best of 40-6, more than 4 feet longer than her nearest competitor, so she was expected to win. “It’s a little difficult, because it kind of feels like you’re on the spot a little bit,” she said. “But once you’re there for a certain amount of time, you kind of just get over it.”
THE WORK ETHIC: “She works hard in the weight room. She puts in time with the technique work that we do, and the drills,” Smyrna throwing coach Josh Rutherford said. “When we’re done, I’ve got to pull the shot out of her hand. She’s trying to throw over and over, trying to perfect everything.”
THE STRENGTH: “I didn’t really have an offseason, because all summer I was training,” McFolling-Young said. “I did a lot of basically just strength training. I would have a day of conditioning a week, but I didn’t really stop. There wasn’t really a break. I just knew what I was going for.”
THE CHARACTER: “She’s great. I couldn’t ask for a better kid to work with every day,” Rutherford said. “The thing we’re trying to work on is trying to really perfect technique, and you can always get stronger.”
THE DISCUS: McFolling-Young won the Division I and Meet of Champions titles in the discus, which is not contested indoors, last spring. “Discus is just completely different,” she said. “For some reason, I have to focus a lot more in discus. Sometimes I can just power a shot, just try to throw it as far as I can. But in discus, you have to do your technique or you’re not going to get anywhere.”
THE GOALS: In the outdoor season, McFolling-Young wants to defend her discus titles and make a big push in the shot, where she finished fifth in D-I and the Meet of Champions last spring.
THE CLASSROOM: “My favorite subject has to be Algebra,” McFolling-Young said. “It’s so difficult, and I know that I’m not good at it. I love the challenge of math.”
THE FUTURE: McFolling-Young would like to continue her track and field career in college. “I really like animals, so I think I want to be a vet,” she said. “But I also like computers and video games, so I’m thinking about computer information systems. There are a lot of things I want to do.”
Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ