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Heeren gives it her best shot

North Butler senior Nicole Heeren heaves a shot put throw of 40 feet, 4 1/2 inches, which was good enough for second place in the Class 1A division.
North Butler senior Nicole Heeren heaves a shot put throw of 40 feet, 4 1/2 inches, which was good enough for second place in the Class 1A division.

North Butler senior places second in the shot put at state meet

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com
DES MOINES — Maybe it’s just a number — 40 feet.
But for North Butler senior Nicole Heeren, it was a number she had yet to reach in the shot put.
That changed during the final round of the Class 1A shot put event, Thursday morning during the Iowa High School Track and Field Championships.
North Butler track coach Ross Hawker and Bearcat senior Nicole Heeren pose for photos after Heeren placed second in the Class 1A shot put.
North Butler track coach Ross Hawker and Bearcat senior Nicole Heeren pose for photos after Heeren placed second in the Class 1A shot put.

“I never threw (40 feet) before, not even in practice,” Heeren said after her person-best throw of 40 feet, 4 1/2 inches earned her a second-place finish.

Jadin Wagner of Lawton-Wagner placed first with a toss of 40 feet, 11 1/2 inches
“Last year, I didn’t throw well,” Heeren said. “This time, I wanted to stay relaxed and enjoy the moment more.”
Heeren is not done throwing yet. On Saturday, she will compete in the Class 1A discus, an event her coach Ross Hawker says she normally does better in than the shot put.
“But I’m not surprised how well she did today,” Hawker said. “She’s been around that mark in practice. It just came down to her sticking one during a meet.”
A four-sport athlete at North Butler, Heeren still hasn’t decided to do track and field or softball when it comes to continuing her athletic career in college.
“We’ll see what happens,” said Heeren, who is a star power-hitting catcher for the Bearcats softball team, which came up a run short in last year’s regional finals of advancing to state.
Heeren gives it her best shot

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