Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Kristen Nash, Havre High Track

Havre High track coach John Ita has said all year that his girls team has someone capable of scoring points in just about every event. Well, when it comes to the throwing events, no one on the Havre girls track team has had more success this season than Kristen Nash.

Nash, who is a two-sport athlete at Havre High, has been a big part part of Blue Pony track in four years of her high-school athletic career. Nash also played varsity basketball the past three seasons for Havre and at the same time, has turned herself into a top-notch thrower.

Nash said she started track in middle school, with some encouragement from her mother. Over time, she got better and better in the throwing events, the shot put, the discus and the javelin and by the time her freshman year rolled around, she qualified for the Class A state meet in the discus. She finished 20th in that first trip to state.

After building on that experience, Nash developed into a consistent threat to score points each week for the Ponies. And while she will at times compete in all three throwing events, the speciality for Nash has always been the discus, which is the event she has competed in at state in each of the past three seasons.

As a sophomore and junior, Nash did better at state, finishing in 18th place as a sophomore and ending up 15th a season ago. Yet, this season, something seemed to click for Nash. Early on in the year, she cleared 100 feet in the discus for the first time. Her best throw of the year came in the Cal Wearley Invitational in Havre, when she completed a toss of 112-07.

That throw, which was the best of the year for Nash, currently puts her ninth among Class A athletes in the discus. And while she will need to add at least six or seven feet to her throw to have a chance to reach the podium at state, she should find herself right in the thick of things, not only at the Class A state meet, but also this weekend, at the Eastern A Divisional meet, which is being held this Friday and Saturday in Belgrade.

It will be the final divisional meet for Nash, but with the Class A standard for the girls discus at 108 feet this year, regardless of what Nash does this weekend, she will compete at state, a fourth and final time.

However, before Nash and the Ponies start the final two weeks of the season, the senior caught up with the Havre Daily News for five questions.

HDN: How much do you think your previous experience at divisionals and state will help going into these last two weeks?

Nash: “I think that my experience the last couple of years is really going to help. That way, I won’t be as nervous as I would have going in and that way I can get the best throw I can and go from there.”

HDN: So what brought you into track?

Nash: “My mom got me to try out track. I wasn’t too into it to begin with, so I tried it out. I wasn’t really a runner, but I tried a few relays in the beginning, but I really fell in love with throwing and became a thrower.”

HDN: What is the key to doing well at divisionals? How is it different from a regular track meet?

Nash: “It’s not really different. I just try to treat it the same as a regular track meet. I try not to think about it too much because I don’t want to mess up my technique. I just try to treat it the same.”

HDN: So you have shown gradual improvement over the past few years, what has allowed you to do that?

Nash: “Every year, I really try to focus on my technique. I have been working out every now and then to get more power behind the throw, but without having that technique down, I wouldn’t be able to throw as well as I am.”

HDN: What would it mean to you to finally break through and reach the podium at state?

Nash: “It would mean a lot. That is my ultimate goal. I want to at least place this year. That would be a great way to end my senior season.”