Dana Benoit Chubb heads out onto the soccer field behind Stephenville High School.
But she’s not going to kick around a few balls. Rather, she’s there to practice her softball throw.
Dana grips a ball in her right hand and then pulls her arm back. The athlete’s arm goes up and out and she releases the ball. The softball sails through the air across the field.
“OK, now I want you to aim a little higher,” shouts coach Rosemary Ryan-Forsey, who’s on the field with Dana.
Rosemary knows this St. Thomas Aquinas Elementary student has a great deal of talent – and with regular practice she can increase her throwing distance.
“I want her to improve her technique, but not too much because she’s already done so well,” said Rosemary.
Dana broke a softball throwing record in June at the Newfoundland and Labrador Athletic Association’s Hershey Provincial Track and Field Final.
In the girls’ nine to 10-year-old division, one of Dana’s shots clocked a distance of 27.67 metres. That beat the previous record of 26.63 metres, set by Kristyn Lee of Goulds Elementary in 2009.
“Yeah, that was fun,” said Dana.
After that event, the provincial athletic association chose Dana as one of five athletes to attend the Hershey North American Finals, taking place Aug. 4 to 7 in Hershey, Pa.
Devon Snook, also a student at St. Thomas Aquinas, will attend the finals to compete in the boys’ 13 to 14-year-old softball throw. He secured his spot at the North American games after a first place finish at the provincial meet in June with a throwing distance of 73.29 metres.
The other athletes attending the games are Chantal Barnes of St. Teresa’s School in St. John’s, Travis Coady of Goulds Elementary and Kylie Hynes of Mt. Pearl Intermediate.
