Blewitt comes up just short at trials

Her best shot put throw Saturday was just over 54 feet, well below her career best but good enough for 10th place at the U.S. Olympic trials.

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EUGENE, Ore. — Boardman native Adriane Blewitt came up short in her attempt to make the U.S. Olympic team in the shot put event Saturday at the Olympic Trials qualifying tournament.

Blewitt, who reached the finals in the event, finished 10th out of 12 compeititors in Saturday’s finals. Her best throw was 54-feet, 13‚Ñ4 inches, which was well below her career best of over 56 feet.

“She didn’t do as well as she expected to do,” said her coach Denise Gorski. “She’s handling it pretty well, but she undoubtedly had a lot of pressure. She didn’t want to disappoint everyone who had helped her to get where she was.”

“She went into the finals with some high expectations and she felt she needed to get a big throw right off the bat, which she did, but she fouled,” said Gorski.

“Her first throw would have been right around the 58 feet mark if she hadn’t fouled,” she said.

The top three finishers in the event all threw over or close to the 60 feet mark to earn a trip to Bejing, China and the 2008 Olympic Games.

The winner of the event was Michelle Carter who threw 61-10.25, while Kristin Heaston finished second with a throw of 60-2 and Jillian Camarena was third with a throw of 59-5.

Michelle Carter is the daughter of Michael Carter, a former member of the San Francisco 49ers who still holds the boys national record in the shot put (81 feet).

“I told her she had nothing to be ashamed of as she finished among the top 10 throwers in the country,” Gorski added.

Gorski said Blewitt remained composed until she saw her coach, Bill Godina.

“Adriane made her way into the stands to find [her mother] Rae [Blewitt] and I after she left the infield and was met with kind words and encouragement from the crowd around us,” said Gorski. “I knew how disappointed she had to be, but she handled it with such class and maturity. She acknowledged everyone who talked to her and it was only when Coach Godina talked to her and gave her a hug that she showed tears.”

Blewitt plans to fly back to Ohio Monday to work at Jud Logan’s throwing camp in Ashland. After that she will decide when she will throw again but when asked if the 2012 trials are in her plans, she replied, “I will be there.”

Blewitt, a Boardman High graduate, was in 11th place with a throw of 55 feet, 91‚Ñ4 inches (17 meters) following Thursday’s preliminaries.

Twelve throwers advanced to Saturday’s finals. The top three qualified for the Beijing Games.

“I’m just happy I made it to finals,” Blewitt said Friday. “That was a big goal for me.

Blewitt placed fifth at the 2004 trials with a throw of 54-21‚Ñ2. That competition took place not long after her successful battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“The first time it was a unique experience,” she said. “I was coming off a rough year and I was trying to make my first team. I was able to see how they heightened security and all the uniform laws. There’s a lot of red tape you have to go through just to throw.

“I was prepared for that this time.”