NTL TRACK & FIELD: TROY'S SENS FINISHES SEVENTH AT STATES, TOWANDA'S FARRELL JUST MISSES THE PODIUM (2024-05-26)
BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports ReportSHIPPENSBURG — The NTL saw their two best throwers finish in the top nine in the state during the boys’ shot put competition at the PIAA Track and Field Championships Saturday. Troy’s Avery Sens finished seventh to get on the podium, with Towanda’s Varrius Farrell just missing it by taking ninth on an extremely rare third tie-breaker.
“It feels really good to be out here and competing at the highest level,” Sens said about getting the medal.
As for Farrell, he was in the medals until the very final round of throws in the final flight, as Brookville’s Brayden Ross surpassed him to move into eighth.
“It’s crazy to think that I could go on a road trip pretty much and only meet eight AA guys that are better than me,” Farrell said. “And one of them is 30 minutes away, so that’s pretty nice, but that close, you can’t even get closer than that. I joined a week and a half late into the season, I wasn’t going to do track this year, and I never though I’d be here.”
Farrell was the final thrower in the first flight and opened with a personal best of 51-feet, 2 3/4-inches, breaking the 50-foot plateau for the first time in his career.
“That set a huge tone for me,” remarked Farrell. “Like, ‘hey, I’m here today and I’m ready to throw,’ but the rest of them didn’t really follow up very well.”
He finished second in his flight while the big guns in the first flight waited around, including Sens.
“It was very nice seeing Farrell with his throw,” Sens said. “That was motivation for me to throw further.”
Sens first throw of 49-feet, 11 3/4-inches was a good start, but put him on the bubble of getting in. However, his second throw of 50-feet, 5 3/4-inches would have been enough to push him to the finals.
“I was very nervous after the 49 foot throw that I had with my first throw,” explained Sens. “But after that 50-foot got out there I was more confident in myself to just let it go.”
His third throw of 51-feet, 4 1/4-inches was what got him on the podium.
As for Farrell, he was holding his breath as the throws kept getting bigger.
“I was counting every single throw that went over 51-feet,” he explained. “I was nervous.”
The finals saw a lot of fouls as Sens kept trying to hit his PR of 52-feet.
“I was just trying to give it my all,” he said.
He did hit 51-feet, 3-inches on his final throw but didn’t set a new PR.
It looked like Farrell was going to hold off Ross to take eighth. They were tied at 51-feet, 2 3/4-inches with Farrell owning the tie-breaker of best second throw.
However, Ross’s third throw tied Farrell’s second best throw of 48-feet, 9 3/4-inches. It went to third best after that as Ross’s 48-feet, 6 1/4-inches bested Farrell’s 46-feet, 2-inches.
“Its fine but it just sucks to lose like that,” Farrell said. “Being that close, being able to grab it, celebrate it, and then realize five minutes later, I’m not actually number eight, I’m number nine.”
Both will return next season and they’re putting the rest of the state on notice.
“I’ve seen I can place here so the goal is now to get first,” remarked Sens.
As for Farrell, he just has two words for next spring.
“I’m hungry.”
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PHOTO CAPTION: Troy’s Avery Sens throws…PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING
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