Edgewood's Siler reaches podium in discus at state track and field championships

COLUMBUS — Edgewood’s Paul Siler II made his fans and coaches a bid nervous Friday afternoon during the Division III state track and field championships.

For the second straight week, the junior waited until the last throw of his flight to make a throw good enough to continue on in the competition.

Siler threw 159’1″ to make the finals, which held up for a sixth-place finish in the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Track and Field Championships at Jesse Owens Stadium.

Without the third throw, he would not have made the finals or the podium.

Siler said he just kept telling himself he only needed one good throw to qualify and then make the podium.

“I fouled two of my throws at regional, then threw the 163′,” he said. “This really helped me keep my composure, but overall, I was really excited.”

Brett Beury, of Firelands, who won the Austintown Fitch Regional, just ahead of Siler last weekend, threw a 188’08 to capture the state title.

Both Siler and Warriors throws coach Beth Simpson said he was nervous, but rose above those nerves in his first trip to state meet.

“Obviously I was pretty excited,” Simpson said. “I do wish he had hit a PR (personal record).”

Edgewood boys head coach Anthony Cardaman said he loves having Simpson on board because she handles the field events and he can concentrate on the head coaching position

“She makes it happen,” he said.

Simpson said it takes a real competitor to rise above the nerves to hit a big throw at the state meet.

“I was definitely nervous, my first year at state,” Siler said. “My hands were sweaty and it was hard to hold the disc.”

Siler said he played baseball during his early years, but went out for track in seventh grade and fell in love with it.

Siler said his goal for next season is to make it back to state.

In the meantime, he said his main focus this summer will be preparing for the fall football season.

The throwing excellence at Edgewood continues with Simpson, who said Siler is the fifth or sixth competitor to place at state.

The discus is a very unique event to coach and involves a lot of adjustment by the coach and the thrower, Simpson said.

She said Siler made a lot of progress during the season, but has a lot more inside.

“Discus is so much form,” Simpson said of the repetitive work, which allows the full performance to occur at the right time.

Consistency is also important. Once he made the finals, two of his three throws were 157’05” and 159’0″.

Simpson credits her coaches, clinics and the athletes themselves for making adjustments that lead to success.

Throwing camps have also been helpful in developing a style, but each athlete is different and needs to be coached subtly differently.

Simpson said a variety of factors go into creating a throwing style.

She said size, speed, style, arm length and overall strength all are a part of the equation.

All of those factors must be kept in mind.

Simpson said using video to make adjustments and includes athletes watching themselves. ”

“You can analyze frame by frame at practice and meets,” she said.