Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes Heartland Christian sophomore Claire Liposky throws the disc during her third attempt in the second flight at the state track meet in Columbus. She won the Division V title with a mark of 144-06 feet.

COLUMBUS — Last spring didn’t end the way that Claire Liposky didn’t end the way she would have liked. After not making it out of the district round last year, the Heartland Christian sophomore stood atop the podium at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium Friday afternoon.

After tossing two new personal-best throws, Liposky won the Division V girl’s discus with a mark of 144-06 feet. Four finalists passed the 140-foot mark, including McDonald’s Emma Bundy who placed fourth at 142-01.

“This year I worked all winter and all summer to be able to work on my technique,” Liposky said. “If your technique is messed up at all, it hurts your throw a lot. Anybody can muscle a disc, but it’s the technique is what helps you throw far.”

It was breezy all afternoon in Columbus, with Liposky mentioning how the wind can hurt a throw that doesn’t have a level flight. She took advantage of the wind to hold the disc in the air.

“I can feel when it’s good just because I do good when I hit my positions, and so I felt like it was good. I just waited to hear the distance to make sure it lines up with what I think,” Liposky said. “The competition makes me want to throw harder, it makes me want it more, but today I was just throwing for a PR, I was trying to make it as simple as possible”

Liposky credits her father for getting her into track and field, something that she wasn’t keen on at first.

“I always associated track with running, I didn’t want to run for fun,” Liposky said. “In eighth grade, I found out that I loved it and that I could throw it far. I was pacing and winning a couple of meets as an eighth grader, not throwing in seventh grade.

“Last year, I was really just working on technique and I was just able to PR at 120-11. We were like, ‘How are you doing this?”, not trying to throw far, just technique, then this year it all started to come together, and it’s rewarding.”

When it’s all said and done, state track is about representing your school and community with pride amongst the best in the Buckeye state. Liposky felt that she accomplished just that.

“Just knowing that I’m from an area that’s very small and knowing that I’m down here from a little school with all of the people from the big schools who have lots of people – you can pick anybody – but with me, there’s only a couple of us so it’s very rewarding,” Liposky said.