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One on One: Skylar Ciccolini

Editors note: Mifflin County’s Skylar Ciccolini last summer just won the AAU Track and Field National Championship in the 15-16 Girls Javelin throwing 47.43 Meters (155′ 7″) breaking the AAU National Record of 149’1″. This is the 4th National Medal for the Juniata Valley Striders in National Track & Field Championships that week.
She also finished second in the Javelin at the PIAA State Championships this past Spring at Shippensburg University. At the end of the Summer season she recently sat down and talked with Editor Kenny Varner about her career.

HS: How was your trip to Ironwood throws competition?

SC: it was a meet just for throwers and you had to be invited from various programs to it to participate. There were five people in my age group and three at the elite level which is the college level. It was so out there. They had a new runway. It was really neat because I’ve never thrown off a brand new runway and that was really nice. I thought it was really cool because I had a bunch of coaches that could point out things I was doing wrong and that was really helpful for me so then I could comeback and work on all these things now.

HS : How long have you been throwing the javelin?

SC: I picked up the javelin for the very first time in my eighth grade year and threw it just through the summer. Last year I threw but I was mostly a jumper and just doing the jacelinon the side. I wasn’t really serious about it until after I qualified for states and then I have been training since then I worked hard in the summer and winter putting in way more time than I ever have.

HS: Is there any certain technique you use ?

SC: Yes, javelin is mostly all technique, especially for me because I am a thinner person and I don’t have much I don’t have a lot of strength to just muscle it out there. So everything I do is based off technique. It is paramount. That’s what I have been working on since the fall.

HS : When did you realize you were going to be very good at throwing the javelin?

SC: when I picked it up I was playing softball and football. So I’ve always been throwing things around so when I really started to get down to it and focus on it, I dedicated so much time and effort into the right positions. So I think time has a lot to do with it and I progressed so quickly because that’s all I’ve done the past year was just javelin. I think that’s I am pretty good at it and why I make it look easy. Because I just go out there and see what happens and see how much of my training sticks. It’s definitely the most fun for me because I go to practices and I am really concentrating, working and putting time in it because it takes a while for it all to come together.

HS: Do you think with the different factors, whether it be the weather conditions or throwing conditions do you find yourself changing your techniques to allow for the elements?

SC: Wind is the biggest factor. If there is a harder head wind I will change my angle but the basic technique is the same. Basically, my feet always stay the same.
In the wind it’s even more important because if I don’t hit it just right it won’t go anywhere. But if I hit it better than the wind will actually help carry it. But Day to day I always try to make it the same.

HS : You had a great outdoor season last year, finishing second in the state. How did it feel to get the silver medal?

SC: It felt great! I was a little frustrated because I knew that my best throw was right there and I told my coach ‘I just missed it’. I didn’t quite hit it the way I wanted to. Obviously, I was super excited that I was able to finish there.

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