After winning shot put on meet's first day, Hatton-Northwood's Elizabeth Pinke adds a state discus title
May 24—BISMARCK — Hatton-Northwood sophomore Elizabeth Pinke thought her season was over.
In a tie for ninth after the qualifier throws in the discus, Pinke didn't think she made the finals.
"The coaches knew it was a tie but didn't know the ruling," Pinke said. "I thought I was done for the year and had a little moment. Then they said my name. They were going to take the tie. I had to snap out of it and go."
From thinking she didn't make finals to a state championship.
Pinke unleashed a personal-best throw by more than 11 feet to win the North Dakota Class B state discus championship.
Pinke's winning throw came in at 139 feet, 8 inches. Norah DeLaBarre of LaMoure-L-M threw 131-6 to finish second.
"We were working on keeping my shoulder back and by the finals I was more relaxed," Pinke said.
She also received some help from her brother — former UND football captain Hunter Pinke.
"My brother would say some jokes and get me to relax," Pinke said. "I've thrown a lot of disc this year and have had throws like that in practice but it never happened in a meet where it counted."
Pinke won the state shot put title on Friday.
"It has been my goal since last year to win both of them," Pinke said. "In my bathroom at my house, there's a note card that says Class B disc and shot champion. That's been my two things."
But as the last entry into the finals, Pinke had to throw first. Then she had to sweat out the remaining throwers to learn her place.
"I looked it up and there were 26 girls competing and I believe 11 PR'ed," Pinke said. "Everyone was throwing the best. It was a state meet and everyone was throwing their best. I knew my throw was at the top but everyone was launching them."
The Hatton-Northwood girls sit in second place in the team race with 35.5 points. Carrington is in the lead with 38.5.
Other top-eight finishes from the Class B girls in the area Friday include a seventh-place finish from the May-Port-C-G 4x800 relay team, a seventh-place finish from Aubrey Badding of Langdon-Edmore-Munich in the triple jump and a fifth-place finish from Pinke's teammate Trista Bilden in the discus.
