Haley Showalter winds up on a discus throw at the Great Southwest Classic last June. Photo by Alan Versaw.
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Haley Showalter's best marks:
Shot Put - 42-7
Discus - 155-6
Hammer Throw (4 kg) - 193-4
Weight Throw - 59-0
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What did your short list of schools to consider come down to?
My short list of schools to consider came down to which schools I liked the most when I took unofficial visits, the coaches I saw myself working with best, and a program and a school I could see myself succeeding academically and athletically the most at.
And what tilted things in favor of the University of Wisconsin?
The thing that that tilted things into the favor of Wisconsin was how much it just felt like home there. It was a feeling I got on campus when I was there that I didn't get anywhere else. The team, the coaches, the campus, everything was amazing. The other four schools I visited, Missouri, Miami, Arizona, and Alabama were all amazing as well and I had great visits at those schools. They all showed me incredible programs, but when it came down to it Wisconsin felt like the best fit.
Do you have a planned course of study in mind yet for college?
I do not have a planned course of study in college currently, but I am pretty positive that I will do something along the lines of nutrition sciences, exercise science, or sports medicine.
You've been pretty successful at each of the shot put, discus, weight throw, and hammer. Do you have a favorite among those throws?
Yes, my favorite of each of the throws is definitely hammer. I like throwing discus and shot put too, but hammer just seems to come more natural to me and over the past two year of throwing it I've always enjoyed throwing it more.
Have you already determined any major meets where you'll be throwing this spring?
Yes, some of the major meets I will be throwing at this spring are the Las Vegas Classic, the Stanford invitational, and the Colorado state meet. Major meets after the high school season I plan on throwing in are New Balance Nationals, USA Junior Nationals, and the Great Southwest, and I'm really hoping to throw in the Chicagoland Throws meet again this summer.
Do any of the throws have a target distance you're hoping to reach this year?
Yes, each year I set a target distance I would like to reach for all of the throwing events. My goal for weight is 65 feet, my goal is the national record in the hammer, 170 in discus, and 45 in shot put.
If you had to pick a favorite memory of your high school career to date, what would that be?
My favorite memory of my high school career to date would be a tie with competing in the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, and making the U.S. Junior Olympic team. Both were the most amazing experiences of my life.
