Super is an understatement

Super is an understatement
The West Linn senior captures her third state javelin championship and will look to continue her success next year at the collegiate level
By Matthew Sherman

May 29, 2008

Ali Super recently accomplished what only one Oregon high school athlete had ever done. She won her third consecutive state championship in the javelin at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.

Vern Uyetake West Linn Tidings

In 7th grade, Ali Super had virtually no interest in track. It was only at the insistence of her mother that she decided to join Athey Creek’s team. Previously, Super had participated in numerous sports including gymnastics, softball, soccer, volleyball and even fencing for a brief time. But track never appealed to her. On the junior high team, participants are encouraged to practice or try nearly every event to see what they might like or what they might have a hidden talent in.

For Super, it happened to be the javelin. When she first picked up the turbo javelins used by junior high athletes, she quickly realized that she was throwing as far as the guys on her team. And it stuck.

Now, six years later, Super has three state championships to her name in the javelin, a feat that has only been accomplished once previously in Oregon history and that was in the late 1960’s.

“It’s pretty special. She had a great meet again and I think she’s one of the top 10 high school javelin throwers in the nation right now,” West Linn coach Joe Cerny said.

As a freshman, Super narrowly missed a trip to state, finishing third in league as teammate Jeeni Schantin was the district champion that year. But, as a sophomore, she qualified and went to Eugene without many expectations.

On her final throw of the meet, she set a P.R. of 142’6”, which was good enough to win state.

“I just came up and threw it big. It just came as a complete surprise,” Super said. But, with the victory came a target as competitors around the state knew that future state titles would come from topping Super.

And, during her junior year, higher expectations were compounded with a nagging shoulder injury that ultimately required surgery. Doctors fixed her rotator cuff which nearly caused her to miss the track season.

It took months to recover from the injury and Super was only able to throw near 100% by the middle of spring. She would attend meets and often just throw once to save her arm. Fortunately, that one throw was generally good enough to win.

Super saved her arm enough that she was again able to win the district title and defend her championship at state.

And, once again, Super was able to come through on the biggest stage. She threw over 154 feet to win the title again.

Heading into this season, Super knew she had a chance to do something only a handful of Oregon athletes have ever accomplished. The challenge for her has always been to save her arm and not overexert herself early in the season.

“In practice my coach tells me to just to throw at 80% and I don’t know how to do that. I just want to set a P.R. and see how far I can throw it,” Super said.

That coach is a long-time friend of her father’s, Gary Reddaway. And Reddaway’s name just happens to be synonymous with the javelin around the nation.

“He’s a guru. Whenever people ask me who my coach is and I tell them, they’re like ‘Oh, that makes sense,’” Super said.

Reddaway has helped establish a long tradition of javelin dominance at West Linn.

He helped Casey Kauffman win a state title in 2003 and worked with Schantin and with Super since she was in junior high.

Reddaway helped Super refine her technique and also knew just how far to push her while she was recovering from her injury.

“He made me aware of things I was doing wrong so that I could critique myself,” Super said.

At this year’s district meet, Super quickly set a mark that she knew would qualify her for state when she topped 150 feet.

“When I did that my coach said that was my last throw and I begged him to let me keep going. I’m sure I was annoying about it,” Super said. Her mark held up and, considering her competition in league, it left her feeling good about her chances at state.

For the past few years, the Three Rivers League has been loaded in the javelin. Lakeridge’s Andrea Hopkins has been nipping at Super’s heels for much of her career as another Pacer, Kai Schmidt also uncorked throws this year that easily placed her in the top-10 in the state.

The state competition was close last week. Super set an early mark that gave her the lead but, on Hopkins’ final throw, she nearly topped Super’s mark. The toss came up just shy and, with one throw left, Super knew she had already clinched her third state title.

Still, she made the attempt and let loose her best throw of the meet, finishing with a mark of 149’1”.

“I really wanted to set a P.R. so I was a little disappointed about that,” Super said. It was a terrific finish to a historic high school career for Super and, at meets over the summer, she will still have the opportunity to beat her best throw and top her school record.

“That just shows what a competitor she is to save her best throw for last,” Cerny said.

In August, Super will make her way to Lewis and Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho where she will continue throwing the javelin for a very competitive team.

“I’m really excited about it. The coach was really nice and his wife is a really good physical therapist,” Super said.

Super joins Evan Kelty as the only West Linn athletes to win three state track championships in the same event. Kelty won three times in the 200m in the late 1990s.

“Never in a million years did I think that any of this would come from throwing the javelin,” Super said.