Sarah Corrie came close to securing a spot at the NCAA Division II indoor track and field championships.

The Slippery Rock graduate student captured the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference shot put title Feb. 19 at Lehigh and helped her team win its seventh PSAC team title.

Her season-best of 14.21 meters, recorded at the YSU Ice Breaker on Dec. 1, was an NCAA provisional cut, and was put up against the other top distances from throughout the season.

With only a select group of 16 invited to throw the shot put at nationals, Corrie’s best distance ranked her 21st. The 16th and final accepted distance checked in at 14.56.

“I know I have a lot left in the tank, and I hope to show it in the outdoor season,” Corrie said.

“I have been keeping what I know I can do locked in my mind.”

Corrie didn’t set a personal best at the PSAC championships, but her best of 13.90 bested the field of 16.

She again earned All-PSAC honors, and the 13.90 was another NCAA provisional cut.

“No matter what happened, I just wanted to have fun and support everybody,” Corrie said.

Three of the top four in the final standings were Slippery Rock throwers. The one to break up that group was Clarion’s Shelly Jones, Corrie’s teammate at Gateway who produced a runner-up throw of 13.14 meters.

“It was probably the most special win, for me in the shot, and for the team overall,” Corrie said

“We had five girls shot putters qualify. They are some of my best friends. To also have Shelly there to compete against was special. We’ve trained ever since we started throwing while at Gateway and have put in so much work, both in season and in the offseason. We’ve always wanted to be at the top of the podium, and to stand beside each other that day was an incredible feeling. It was such an emotional moment.”

For Jones, it was her fourth top-eight finish in the shot put. She placed eighth as a freshman, seventh two years ago and fourth last year with a top attempt of 13.44 meters.

“It was a bit of a bumpy ride in the indoor season with starting graduate school (for athletic training) and have my priorities shift a bit,” said Jones, the Clarion women’s indoor record-holder in the shot at 13.71 meters.

“I just came in with the mindset of just doing what I can. I trained all indoor season for the PSAC championships. I trusted my training, my coaches, and my abilities. I hadn’t been throwing the way I wanted to this season, so to get back to the 13-meter mark really helped lift my spirits. I just had to recall those instincts and get back to throwing the way I know how.

“Going into the finals in second place was a confidence booster. It was a good feeling going into my last throw knowing I had secured second place. To be up on the podium with a medal and with Sarah by my side, it was probably the icing on the cake. It was our thing for years now that we were going to be No. 1 and No. 2 in the PSAC. We finally made that happen.”

Corrie and Jones hope to be connected in their final outdoor seasons as PSAC competitors.

Workouts continue for both, and competitions kick off in a couple of weeks.

They are expected to face each other at select invitationals throughout the spring leading up to the conference outdoor championships May 3-5, in Shippensburg.

Corrie won her second PSAC title and first outdoors last May with a top toss of 14.41 meters. Jones took fourth, checking in with a distance of 13.17 meters.

The 14.41 was close to her making the NCAA championships. She recorded an NCAA provisional throw but missed a spot at nationals by one place and a couple centimeters. The NCAA took 21. She was 22nd.

“That was really hard on me, and I said that I wasn’t going to let that happen again,” Corrie said.

With her best finish in the shot put at a PSAC meet (second) under her belt, Jones is eyeing big things in the outdoor season.

“I am excited to get back outside,” said Jones, who took part in her first outdoor practice just one day after the PSAC indoor championships.

“The transition was quick. It was nice having a metal shot put in my hand again. I am really looking forward to competing.”

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