Connellsville sophomore Madison Wiltrout set a national record in the javelin on Thursday. Twitter photo.
Last year, Madison Wiltrout learned how to throw the javelin with the help of YouTube videos. On Thursday, the sophomore from Connellsville, Pa., set a national girls high school record in the event. Her only throw at the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Class AAA Central Regional qualifier at Norwin (North Huntington) went 185 feet, eight inches.
The previous mark was 181-2, set by Haley Crouser of Gresham, Ore., in 2012.
While Wiltrout won the state Class AAA meet last year as a freshman, her throw Thursday was stunning because her previous best, set at the Penn Relays last month, was 168-5, which was then the state record. Officials at Thursday’s WPIAL meet had to find a metal tape measure long enough to measure the throw.
Wiltrout, who also plays girls basketball for Connellsville, honed her throwing style as an All-Star pitcher and center fielder in Little League.
Wiltrout’s record throw leads our American Family Insurance ALL-USA Performances of the Week. The rest of the top performances:
Stevie Baird, softball, Beech, Hendersonville, Tenn.
Senior, who has signed with Lee University, hit a walk-off grand slam with two outs to give her team a 12-2 win by the 10-run rule on Wednesday.
Sharrika Barnett, track and field, Oak Ridge, Orlando
Senior, who has signed with Florida, won the 400 meters at the Class 4A state meet Saturday in 52.67 seconds, the fastest time in the nation this season.
Jessica Eaton and Shannon Buchanan, softball, Kempsville, Virginia Beach, Va.
Eaton, a senior, went 5-for-5 with six RBI, including a two-run homer and Shannon Buchanan, a junior, threw a perfect game in an 18-0 defeat of Maury (Norfolk) on Tuesday.
Megan Gorman, lacrosse, Vero Beach, Fla.
Junior midfielder scored five goals, including three in the second half, to lift her team to an 11-8 defeat of Ponte Vedra in the state championship game Saturday. Vero Beach has won 144 consecutive in-state games.
Gabrielle Jennings, track and field, First Baptist, Slidell, La.
Junior won four events Thursday in the Class C state meet and holds 37 career state titles. She won the 3,200-meter run, ran the anchor leg on the 4 x 400-meter relay and broke her own state Class C records in the 800 and 1,600.
Jim Magson, baseball, Hamden Hall, Hamden, Conn.
Senior hit a grand slam, a double and a walk-off three-run homer for eight RBI in a 15-14 defeat of West Haven on Wednesday. He also got the win in relief.
Jordan Stringfield, softball, Wellsville, Kan.
Freshman tied the team’s single-season record for homers, going 6-for-6 with two homers and eight RBI in a doubleheader sweep of Burlingame on Wednesday.
Ben Wanger, baseball, Belmont Hill, Belmont, Mass.
Senior threw a perfect game and hit a three-run double in a 10-0 defeat of Noble and Greenough (Dedham) on Wednesday.