This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
06/22/2017 12:00 AMSarah Vanacore won the shot put at the SCC West Sectional Championship during both the indoor and outdoor seasons as a junior at North Haven. For many athletes, that would be cause for celebration, but Sarah was disappointed because she didn’t throw as far as she felt she could. Consequently, Sarah wanted to make her senior year her best one yet, and that’s exactly what she did. Sarah defended her sectional titles behind better distances, reached 38 feet for both the winter and spring campaigns, and then put a bow on her high school career by qualifying for the New England Outdoor Championship.
Sarah was doubting herself at the end of her junior year and got out to a rough start as a senior by spraining her right ankle during a practice for the Nikh Bowl powderpuff football game. However, Sarah got a big boost of confidence when she threw 37 feet at one of her first indoor competitions, and the stage was set for her stellar senior season.
“I definitely had a breakthrough. Everything felt more natural, and it was just easier for me to throw farther during the indoor season. I was very content with how I was throwing, and it was very exciting for me,” says Sarah, who had spent the preceding fall doing conditioning with Coach Marc Celmer and several Indians’ athletes. “Everything I had worked for and all the experience I had in the past and just working really hard knowing what was at stake, that definitely helped me throw a little better.”
Sarah wound up winning her second straight indoor sectional shot put title with a toss of 37-4.5, after which she earned the three-peat with another victory at outdoor sectionals. Sarah then recorded her personal-record outdoor distance of 38 feet with her third-place performance at the SCC Championship—which is the sixth-best mark in North Haven girls’ outdoor track history—and she followed that up with a second-place showing in the Class M state meet.
Now it was time for Sarah to compete among Connecticut’s elite at the State Open. Athletes qualify for the New England Championship by placing in the top six at the Open and, the previous year, Sarah missed making it by one spot as she took seventh place, with Weaver’s Jhan Spears finishing sixth. However, this time around, Sarah would not be denied.
Sarah was seeded sixth, while Spears was seventh heading into the Open finals. Sarah hit 36 feet on her first throw, and Spears couldn’t match her, thus sealing Sarah’s spot at New Englands. For good measure, Sarah popped a throw of 37-5 on her last attempt to move up to fourth place.
“That meant a lot to me. I also beat two other girls from Middletown and Southington that had beat me in previous years in states and State Opens, and I got revenge for that, so I was proud with my performance, and how I pulled through on that last throw. That is definitely one of the biggest accomplishments of my entire track career in high school,” Sarah says. “It was an honor to compete at [the New England Championship]. I didn’t throw as good as I would have liked, but I was just glad to make it to that meet.”
Coach Celmer was also was happy to see Sarah reach New Englands. Celmer was Sarah’s head coach during the indoor season and then worked with Sarah and her fellow throwers as an assistant coach in the outdoor season.
“Sarah put the pressure right on the girls behind her in the final. She said, ‘You deal with this,’ and she made a statement that way. Then she came back relaxed for her last throw, exploded across the circle, and went from sixth to fourth. That showed me that the maturity that she had demonstrated many times and all that experience had come through,” says Celmer. “When you have someone with natural ability, experience, and determination, that is a tough combination to break. The way she qualified for New Englands is what you hope all your throwers do at the Open. You want to see them perform like that and not collapse under the pressure.”
Sarah thanks Coach Celmer for the impact he’s had on her success through both technical tips and positive reinforcement, saying, “I would not by the thrower that I am today without his support and guidance.” Sarah, who was a captain for the Indians’ indoor and outdoor squads, adds that she would not have had such a successful senior year without the support of her teammates. In turn, North Haven would not have had such a successful spring without Sarah, as she won the shot put at all 13 regular season meets and also picked up points in the discus to help the Indians win the Oronoque Division title.
“For me to contribute a significant amount to help the girls’ team get a lot of victories was a big thing for me,” Sarah says. “It means a lot that I helped the team in any way possible.”
Sarah also learned a lot from her father John and her brother Patrick, who were both throwers at North Haven. The first time Sarah practiced shot put technique was by tossing a bocce ball with her father during the summer before 9th grade, and the strategy that goes into throwing became a common topic at the dinner table. Sarah feels proud with how she carried the Vanacore family torch, while carving out her own niche in Indians’ history.
“I take a lot of pride following in my family’s footsteps,” she says. “It makes me feel like I’m continuing a tradition, and I feel really good about it.”
Sarah will now take her talents to the track and field program at Division I University of Maine, where she will study to become a marine scientist. As she gets ready to embark on the next chapter of her athletic career, Sarah looks back at her time in North Haven with a smile, as she achieved some great feats and had the privilege of representing her hometown team.
“I’m happy with the way my track career has gone. I’m just very proud of how I did. If I could change some things, I probably would, but overall, the past is that past, and I’m just very happy with what I’ve been through and how I did,” Sarah says. “It means a lot for me to compete for North Haven. I love this town, and North Haven track has had quite a long history of success, so to be able to throw really good for this team and be compared to some of the best shot putters in North Haven history is one of the most amazing feelings I could ever have.”