Redemption for Figueroa

At last year’s New Balance Nationals, Ohio’s Gabby Figueroa was the top-seeded weight-thrower in the country, but left The Armory with a moderately-disappointing third-place finish.

The senior from Austintown Fitch wasn’t about to let history repeat itself.

On her first throw in the finals, Figueroa unleashed the metal ball a distance of 62 feet, 1.75 inches to earn her first national title and the treasured ring that goes along with it. Senior Nyla Wood of Throw I Deep and Grady, Ga., was second with a distance of 60-0.5 (US #2). North Carolina’s Mahogany Brown of Philip O. Berry finished third with a heave of 59-9.5 (US #3).

“Yeah,” Figueroa said, “getting third last year when I was seeded first was definitely a motivator.”

Trailing Woods after the preliminaries, the LSU-bound thrower secured her title on her first toss of the finals. Figueroa opened up the competition with a toss of 58 feet in the prelims.

“That’s about where I wanted to open up,” she said. “It’s the throws that followed that didn’t really line up where I wanted to. I’m glad I got it down on the first throw. It was probably the hardest.”

Figueroa, a three-time indoor state champion in her specialty, credits her success to the time spends on her craft.

“I have been throwing the weight for three years and I don’t think there is anything that helps more than just getting time in the ring,” she said. “I think this season, my senior year, I have gotten the most reps I have ever had. I think that has matured me as an athlete.”

 
F Weight Throw - Finals  
Place Overall Athlete Team Result Heat  
1 1 Figueroa, Gabby Austintown Fitch 62-01.75 1  
2 2 Woods, Nyla Grady 60-00.50 1  
3 3 Baker, Mohogany Berry, Phillip O. 59-09.50 1  
4 4 Gaitan, Sabrina Sprayberry High School 56-08.75 1  
5 5 Brinson, Kamryn Marist 56-00.50 1  
6 6 Mistowski, Leia Narragansett High School 54-08.25 1  
7 7 Cooper, Monae New Rochelle 53-09.25 1  
8 8 Kuehlewind, McKenzie Lancaster 52-11.50 1  
9 9 Vahoua, Andrea Pope High School 49-07.75 1  
10 10 Ebert, Tori Exeter-West Greenwich Regional High School 48-02.50 1  
11 11 Malloy, Meagan Smithfield Senior High School 47-09.25 1  
12 12 Donadio, Bianca Classical High School 47-01.50 1  
13 14 Russell, Lysah Classical High School 46-08.00 1  
14 15 Borriello, Danielle Ellenville 46-02.00 1  
15 16 Crockett, Tamia Hardin Valley Academy 45-05.75 1  
16 17 Shippee, Jillian Shenendehowa 45-01.50 1  
17 18 Mays, Mariah Rome Free Academy (RFA) 44-11.75 1  
18 19 Jeffries, Zharia Woodward Academy 44-10.75 1  
19 20 Thomas, Kelli Luella High school 44-08.75 1  
20 21 Timpson, Carly Narragansett High School 43-07.25 1  
21 22 Tevnan, Elizabeth Notre Dame Academy-Hingham 43-06.50 1  
22 23 Spinner, Lundy Shenendehowa 43-06.50 1  
23 25 Esmay, Jacqueline La Salle Academy 42-07.00 1  
24 26 Jeffrey, Jessica New Rochelle 42-06.75 1  
25 27 Swanson, Lauren East Greenwich High School 41-03.00 1  
26 28 Yusuff, Oluwafun Classical High School 40-05.00 1  
27 29 Cousens, Abby Portsmouth High School 39-11.50 1  
28 30 Nalle, Cheyanne Woonsocket High School 39-02.25 1  
29 31 Insingo, Kristina Holy Trinity 37-04.50 1