The competition for the Verde Valley’s best track and field thrower has heated up at Sedona Red Rock High School.

While sophomore Hannah Ringel is the up-and-coming Scorpions shot put star, senior Marisa Carrara has emerged from relative obscurity her junior year to take three discus gold medals by the halfway point of the SRRHS schedule.

“We both have our events we’re really good in,” said Carrara, practicing her throws for a seven-team invitational at Mingus Union High School on Friday, April 17. “We just motivate each other to throw farther. She’ll tell me what I can fix with my technique.”

Carrara threw the discus an inch over 107 feet to win the event April 4 at the Red Rock Invitational, with Ringel’s 101-foot, 5-inch throw right behind her in second place. Only Show Low High School senior Sayge McKrill has thrown the discus farther in Division III this spring than Carrara.

“I’m still waiting to compete with the other girl at Show Low, because I can use that to motivate me,” Carrara said. “I’ve never competed against her, so it’s kind of hard.”

In the shot put, the finishes were reversed April 4, as Ringel finished second and Carrara third with throws of 37 feet, 2 inches and 30 feet 9 inches, respectively. They would have finished first and second in the event, but Camp Verde High School senior Viola Logston threw 39 feet, 9 inches — the best shot put in all of Division III this spring.

Carrara hopes to throw the shot put 35 feet by the time she travels to Mesa Community College for the Division III state championships Friday, May 8.

 For the full story, please see the Wednesday, April 15, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.