Jenny Patrick fulfills state championship goal

COLUMBUS — Jenny Patrick didn't have the best week of practice leading up to the state meet at Jesse Owens Stadium. Maybe it was the pressure of the big stage. Maybe because it was her last week competing as a Margaretta student-athlete. Maybe it was because she wanted a state title in the discus more than anything in the world. In the end, none of it mattered. Patrick finished off her career as a Polar Bear with a personal best on her second attempt in the disc, 145 feet 8 inches, to secure a Division III state championship on Friday outside Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. "I wanted to come out and win it," Patrick said. "Being seeded first, saying you want to win it, there's some nerves that come with that." Tuesday's practice was not up to her standards. She couldn't break the 130-foot mark and felt the pressure of being the favorite coming into the biggest meet of her life. Her coaches had a simple solution: relax. "We both came to the conclusion that she needed more rest," coach and father Ted Patrick said. "She pretty much had Thursday and Friday as rest days and came down here and had a great day." Even with the additional rest, Jenny approached Columbus anxiously, wondering if she could capitalize on her last chance to earn the top spot on the podium. She had put in the work, but could she convert it into a career day in the circle? As the highest seed, Patrick was the final thrower to step into the ring. She threw a 130-2 to open her afternoon in first place and never relinquished that lead. The senior knew she was still due to hit a big one and it came on her next attempt. Her previous best was 145-3 and after reaching the new school-record mark of 145-8, Patrick had 12 feet of breathing room between herself and the second-place thrower. "Hitting a big one in prelims makes you feel more comfortable going into finals," Patrick said. Patrick clinched discus runner-up last year in her first appearance at the state meet. It was a new feeling of accomplishment after she failed to make state her sophomore year, throwing 78 feet in the regional stage. Still, her drive to be the best fueled her, and one month later she was back in the weight room training with her brother and coaches. "It's validation for all the hard work she's put in," Ted said. "She's spent a lot more time on the discus because we felt that was her best chance at a state title." Part of the difficulty behind Jenny's week was her impending graduation. She had a speech to prepare for Sunday's ceremony, the state meet just days away, all while trying to enjoy the final week of her senior year. When she crosses the stage on June 4th as the valedictorian of her class, wearing the cords and banners marking her many achievements, that shiny championship medal in the center of her chest is what she'll flaunt most proudly. "I'm super excited. It's definitely been my main goal," Patrick said. "To walk across the stage with a gold medal on and have my name on the wall, it means a lot to me." After the final throw fell and it became official that she was the victor, Jenny looked for the first family member to hug. She ran over to twin brother JT, who was preparing for the final round of the shot put, and squeezed him, wishing him luck. "I was speechless," JT said. "That was her goal and she accomplished it. I couldn't be happier for her." Her mother Cindy, her sister Elizabeth, and the rest of her family were sitting outside of the netting with open arms, ready to greet the new state champion. An embrace with her father and coach capped it off, an embrace that encapsulated three years of dedication in one emotional moment. "We've spent a lot of time together between throwing, lifting, watching film," Ted said. "It was a combination of all that work paying off." Her state championship resulted in a gold medal, but Jenny will get an even better moment from the win: A lip tattoo with her dad. Ted promised her if they won the title, they would get matching tattoos on the inner lip reading: "#TSF." "Lip tattoo for the state champ," Jenny said to her dad. The acronym stands for "Throw Stuff Far," which couldn't be a more fitting reward for someone who throws far.