Wednesday, June 25th, 2025 at 3:36 AM
Lootpress
  • News
    • Breaking
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Consumer
    • Election 2024
    • Local
    • Entertainment
    • Health
    • National
    • Politics
    • West Virginia News
    • Kentucky News
    • North Carolina News
    • Ohio News
    • Pennsylvania News
    • South Carolina News
    • Virginia News
    • Weather News
  • County
    • Barbour County
    • Berkeley County
    • Boone County
    • Braxton County
    • Cabell County
    • Clay County
    • Greenbrier County
    • Fayette County
    • Jackson County
    • Kanawha County
    • Logan County
    • Mason County
    • McDowell County
    • Mercer County
    • Mingo County
    • Monroe County
    • Nicholas County
    • Putnam County
    • Raleigh County
    • Randolph County
    • Summers County
    • Wyoming County
  • Lifestyle
    • Pet of the Week
    • WV Tourism
      • Charleston CVB
      • Huntington CVB
      • Morgantown CVB
      • New River Gorge Tourism
      • Visit Southern WV Tourism
  • Editorials
  • Calendar
  • About Us
    • Meet The Team
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Breaking
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Consumer
    • Election 2024
    • Local
    • Entertainment
    • Health
    • National
    • Politics
    • West Virginia News
    • Kentucky News
    • North Carolina News
    • Ohio News
    • Pennsylvania News
    • South Carolina News
    • Virginia News
    • Weather News
  • County
    • Barbour County
    • Berkeley County
    • Boone County
    • Braxton County
    • Cabell County
    • Clay County
    • Greenbrier County
    • Fayette County
    • Jackson County
    • Kanawha County
    • Logan County
    • Mason County
    • McDowell County
    • Mercer County
    • Mingo County
    • Monroe County
    • Nicholas County
    • Putnam County
    • Raleigh County
    • Randolph County
    • Summers County
    • Wyoming County
  • Lifestyle
    • Pet of the Week
    • WV Tourism
      • Charleston CVB
      • Huntington CVB
      • Morgantown CVB
      • New River Gorge Tourism
      • Visit Southern WV Tourism
  • Editorials
  • Calendar
  • About Us
    • Meet The Team
    • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Lootpress
No Result
View All Result

Track and Field Championships: Staples rebounds to claim discus state title

Tyler Jackson by Tyler Jackson
Friday, May 19, 2023 10:40 pm

Photos by Heather BelcherĀ 

Charleston – Prior to giving up basketball after her junior year, Beckley’s Bella Staples was a rebounding specialist.

Friday in Charleston required her to rebound in a different way and she did just that.

After posting a personal record of 42 feet in shot put back on April 1, Staples finished third in the event in the state meet Friday. So she regrouped for her next event and walked out with the gold.

Staples dominated the field in the discus title tilt, winning the state title with a distance of 131-10 at Laidley Field in Charleston.

Nerves admittedly got the better of Staples once, but she didn’t allow it to happen again.

“Shot put is definitely my thing and I had just got there so I was super nervous and just shaky like any other athlete would be and I came up short just like last year,” Staples said. “I cried a little bit, got the jitters out and everybody was like, ‘Well, discus isn’t your thing so you have nothing to lose’ and I agreed and felt a lot better. I just got to talking to a bunch of people and it wasn’t as serious as it was last time. I just tried to do the best that I could instead of putting so much pressure on myself and I did well.”

See also  Shady Spring Tigers move to championship in win over Winfield Generals

Staples, noticeably more relaxed, excelled Friday. She squatted in the waiting area, grabbed some dirt for her hands and put on a show with three of her throws clearing 120 feet. Her penultimate toss was the winning one as she beat Sierra Davis of Preston, the favorite, by six feet.

Staples’ previous PR was 114 feet on April 29 and her winning distance on Friday was the top one in the state across all classes this season.

“My dad gave me some food which helped,” Staples said. “I came with an empty stomach for shot by the time all the events had started. I had an empty stomach which didn’t help with the anxiety so I ate a little bit, cried and I started talking to my family.”

“I had some warmup throws and they landed exactly where I needed them to,” Staples continued. “That was justification that I was going to do okay. I don’t like chalk so I play in the dirt a little bit to get my hands dry and I just did my best. There was no pressure like there was for shot put.”

See also  Shady Spring Tigers: "We made history"

While discus wasn’t Staples’ top event throughout the season she had a belief she could excel in it and become a legitimate contender in Charleston. Her reps in practice yielded title-caliber results so it was only a matter of replicating those when it counted.

“I didn’t think I could really do it until really recently, like a week or two ago,” Staples said. “I’ve been really practicing throughout the season but I started to see results as the season went along. At practice they were landing a 140, 150, 120, 130 so I knew I had it in me here recently. It came together so I knew all I had to do was apply what I do every day.”

Rather than worry about how the day started, Staples is more content on focusing how it finished.

“It feel sooooo good!” Staples said. “It’s something nobody can ever take away from me!”

Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @tjack94

 

 

Don't Miss

March Madness 2025
Featured

March Madness 2025: Final Four Dates, Location, and Schedule

3 months ago
Graphic Courtesy of Marshall University
College Sports

Marshall’s Cornelius ā€˜Corny’ Jackson named finalist for Joe B. Hall Award

4 months ago
FILE - West Virginia head coach Neal Brown gets holds the trophy after their win against North Carolina in an NCAA college football game at the Duke's Mayo Bowl Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, in Charlotte, N.C. Brown has agreed to a $400,000 pay cut over the next three years while being rewarded with a one-year contract extension through 2027 following a nine-win season. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)
College Sports

Former WVU head coach Neal Brown finds new home in college football

4 months ago

Community Calendar

Lootpress brings you the latest news in Southern West Virginia and around.

Follow Us

Facebook Twitter Youtube

Recent News

A United States Air Force B2 Spirit, currently deployed to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, flies above the English countryside near Dover.

For the first time, UK F-35 Lightning jets have been conducting integration flying training with the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers of the United States Air Force as part of their deployment to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK.

The USAF deployment of the B-2Ā’s from the Bomber Task Force Europe is long-planned. Whilst deployed to the UK the aircraft will conduct a series of training activities in Europe. During this deployment, RAF F-35B Lightning fighters are conducting sorties with the USAF B-2 bombers. Both are 5th generation aircraft and this is the first time that USAF B-2Ā’s have trained with non-US F-35Ā’s.

RAF Fairford routinely hosts deployments and exercises by US strategic aircraft.  These regular deployments reinforce the US Air Force Europe and the Royal Air ForceĀ’s unique and complementary partnership and our collective contribution to NATO.

Imagery captured by a USAF Exchange Pilot.

ā€œFlat-out wrong:ā€ White House disputes claim that Iran strikes had limited impact

June 24, 2025

Popular West Virginia Chinese restaurant announces permanent closure

June 24, 2025
  • About
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Ā© 2024 Lootpress - Your News, Now! - Occidental Imports & Exports Company dba Lootpress

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Breaking
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Consumer
    • Election 2024
    • Local
    • Entertainment
    • Health
    • National
    • Politics
    • West Virginia News
    • Kentucky News
    • North Carolina News
    • Ohio News
    • Pennsylvania News
    • South Carolina News
    • Virginia News
    • Weather News
  • County
    • Barbour County
    • Berkeley County
    • Boone County
    • Braxton County
    • Cabell County
    • Clay County
    • Greenbrier County
    • Fayette County
    • Jackson County
    • Kanawha County
    • Logan County
    • Mason County
    • McDowell County
    • Mercer County
    • Mingo County
    • Monroe County
    • Nicholas County
    • Putnam County
    • Raleigh County
    • Randolph County
    • Summers County
    • Wyoming County
  • Lifestyle
    • Pet of the Week
    • WV Tourism
      • Charleston CVB
      • Huntington CVB
      • Morgantown CVB
      • New River Gorge Tourism
      • Visit Southern WV Tourism
  • Editorials
  • Calendar
  • About Us
    • Meet The Team
    • Contact Us

Ā© 2024 Lootpress - Your News, Now! - Occidental Imports & Exports Company dba Lootpress