Track & Field Championships: Adara Winder Does It Again

Adara Winder knows when to flip the switch.

The Bonney Lake junior captured the Class 3A shot put state championship for the second year in a row with a lifetime best toss of 44 feet, 4 3/4 inches on Saturday at Mount Tahoma High School. She used all of her 6-foot-1 inch frame to win by more than 3 inches.

It took a pair of 40-foot-plus heaves by Kennewick's Kaitlyn Coleman and Highline's Jamila Culcleasure in the second round to get Winder pumped up, she said.

Coleman, a senior, was leading with a toss of 41-0 1/2 as her fanbase roared in the background.

Winder was suddenly on, after a mediocre heave of 37-11. She silenced the crowd with an attempt of 43-4 and later notched her personal best, demonstrating her ability to rise to the occassion.

"At first I was just kind of throwing for the sake of it," Winder said about her early performance. "Then those 40s just fired me up."

Toward the end, Winder said she just had to go.

"I was like uh-uh; I don't have competition," she said.

Her personality around the competition was light-hearted as she gave out high-fives and encouraged her opponents to improve upon their throws. But when the time came, her smile turned into a profound stare.

Shirley Baker, her shotput coach, said Winder is very social and friendly, but defending her state title was important.

Her subpar performance in the discus resulted in a 98-7 throw and 12th place.

"She's definitely a goal-oriented thrower," Baker said. "When the girls PR'd, it egged her on. Her answer was 43-2 and then she improved for a 43-4."

With the title already in hand, Winder dug down and added more than another inch. This year feels like she's on a different level, she said.

"I'm happy," she said. "It's the second year in a row. "I'm throwing 50s next year. It's happening."