SHIPPENSBURG — Last year Canton's Alexis McRoberts was watching the discus competition at the PIAA Track and Field Championships. On Friday everybody was watching her as she took second in the Class AA field to bring home her first medal.

"It feels so amazing," McRoberts said about bringing home silver. "I worked so hard, and to finally see the payoff is a great feeling."

McRoberts threw 136-feet, 10-inches, just two feet shy of the winner, Homer Center's Maggie Voyda (138-feet, 10-inches).

"I definitely felt a little bit nervous, but I knew I'd had a lot of great competition," she said. "I knew that I was going to have get a big throw to be on the podium today, but at the end of the day, I kind of calmed my nerves, and it was a great feeling just being out there."

Five of McRoberts' six throws were over 130-feet, the only member of the field to be that consistent.

Her first throw was 130-feet, 10-inches, securing her spot on the podium.

"I was able to relax my hand, and just, at the end of the day, go through and do what I do, and that's what I did," McRoberts remarked. 

She hit 135-feet, 8-inches at the end of the preliminaries, then opened the finals with a throw of 136-feet, 10-inches. Her final throw was over 136-feet, as well.

Second is the highest track and field medal any girl from Canton has ever gotten.

"It's an amazing feeling, especially not even being here last year for discus," McRoberts said. "It shows a lot of improvement, and I've worked very hard for that."

She's seeded second in the shot put field for Saturday morning. The senior threw shot put last year at states, but the conditions this year aren't expected to be as warm and sunny with rain forecast for the whole day.

"I'm not going to let the conditions get to my head, and just go get some throws in today," McRoberts said. "Then completely forget about this and attack that the best I can."

In the boys 1600 Lawrence Halbfoerster (4:37.8) took 30th overall taking 11th in the second heat.

He'll be running the 3200 on Saturday.

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