Ada High School graduate Kendra Paul, now an Ohio Northern University sophomore, is a quick learner.

Two weeks ago at the Ohio Athletic Conference outdoor track and field meet she toss the javelin 38.62 meters (126.7 feet), finishing second in the women’s javelin throw at the meet.

A PHOTO OF HER OAC 39.62 METER TOSS IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS STORY.

That toss, her personal record, is also the second-longest throw ever by a woman in the sport at Ohio Northern. Her toss was two meters shy of qualifying for the Division III national meet.

Not bad for an athlete who held a javelin for the first-time ever last October.

“I throw the javelin on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I work on my footwork,” she says about her training.  She also says that her softball experience has helped her excel in the javelin.

The javelin is not her only track and field event. She also throws the hammer and says that it is a “work in progress.”

Her OAC meet experience was an emotional one. One the one hand, she set a personal record. On the other, she was two meters shy of advancing to the nationals.

“My goal next year is to make it to the nationals,” she said. “I’d like to throw at least 40 to 41 meters.”

Kendra is as comfortable on the athletic field as she is in the classroom.

At Ada High School she played softball, soccer, was in cheerleading, on the swim team and in show choir.

At ONU, as an exercise psychology and physical therapy major, she played softball as a freshman. She is a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and is a member of the Klondike Crew, who helps freshmen move onto campus.