Discus glory a family affair for Lauren Smith

WEST UNION -- The discus has always been in Lauren Smith's blood.

But not always in her heart.

"When I first started doing it, I didn't like it," she said. "In fact, I hated it."

That was seven years ago, when Smith was a fifth-grader. She competed in the Iowa Games that summer, an experience that didn't endear her to the event.

"I was winning the whole time, then another girl beat me by a half-foot on her last throw," Smith said. "I got second place, and I was really upset."

Discus defeats have been few and far between ever since. Now a senior at North Fayette High School, Smith is the defending Class 2A state champion.

She is ranked No. 1 in the state -- in all classes -- with a throw of 152 feet, 8 inches. She set that standard April 1 at a home meet.

According to quikstatsiowa.com, no other girls in Iowa have surpassed 140 feet this spring.

When Smith captured the state title last year, she became the third member of her family to do so. Her father, Mark, won for Independence in 1972; her brother, Jesse, was a champ for North Fayette in 2005.

"It's a family kind of deal for them," said Ron Wymer, who is coaching his final girls' track team at North Fayette this spring. "They have a passion for it, and Lauren works extremely hard at it."

After her initial disdain for the discus, Smith developed the passion in middle school.

"My dad taught me a lot when I was growing up, and by the time I got to middle school, I knew what I was doing and very few of the other girls did," she said. "I became successful, and that got me excited."

Mark Smith was a 193-foot thrower in high school. He has been the throwing coach at North Fayette for 13 years.

"Lauren has a lot of desire, and she's very good technically," her father said. "She has been lifting religiously for two years."

Genetics are one advantage for Smith. Contacts are another.

In addition to working with her father, she travels to Solon on Sundays to train with Wymer's son, Brad, whose throwers at Iowa City West have won numerous state championships.

"You need commitment to make that long a trip on the weekends," Ron Wymer said. "She'll throw on Saturdays. She'll throw on Sundays. She'll do whatever it takes.

"Her goal is 160 feet. She's capable of that if she gets a good wind. She's a very focused girl."

Throwing is Smith's lone athletics focus at North Fayette. She was a four-year state qualifier in swimming for Decorah's team.

Smith isn't North Fayette's only capable thrower. Hanna Thoms ranks 11th in 2A in the discus. Smith, Vicky Kapnisis and Libby Creery are fourth, eighth and 12th in the shot put. Smith has tossed the shot 39-11 1/2.

"I've struggled with the shot, but I'm starting to get the hang of that, too," she said.

Smith plans to attend Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge -- "I want to get a good feel for college," she said -- then transfer and throw for UNI.

Despite her long throws (she regularly throws in the high 140s), Smith doesn't necessarily regard herself as the Drake Relays discus favorite.

"Even though I'm No. 1 right now, that doesn't necessarily mean anything," she said. "The girl who won it last year (Amanda Piche of Linn-Mar) is back.

"But it would be really nice to go out there and win it."