Videos and stills courtesy of Scott Krall and Mark Stauffer
By CORY MULL
There are roads Emily Stauffer still has yet to cross. And yet, the Cocalico freshman has traveled farther than most.
Her career has yet to take flight. And yet, she's already shown tremendous promise.
While youth is on Stauffer's side this winter track season, so too are expectations. With a personal best of 41 feet, 7.5 inches in the shot put on Jan 25 at F&M, she leads the state in the event.
When the 5-foot, 10-inch thrower steps into the circle at the PTFCA Indoor State Championships at Penn State University on February 23rd, she will be among the favorites to win.
"We just try to keep our focus on what goes on inside the circle," Stauffer's throwing coach, Scott Krall, said recently. "If we focus on the process, the result will happen."
That doesn't mean the freshman athlete is any less intimidated by her competitors.
She has yet to compete in a spring season, and she has thrown in just a handful of indoor meets, none of which can replicate the booming chorus of the Horace Ashenfelter Center.
"I'm really nervous," Stauffer said. "My coach says I'm physically ready, but I'm still working on preparing for the mental side. I haven't been to a big meet like this before, so I'm trying to calm myself down.
"I just have to remember that I deserve to be here."
While Stauffer does not have the benefit of an established resume, her marks thus far have been no less impressive.
As a 7th grader, she broke her school's record in the 6-pound shotput with a heave of 36 feet, 8 inches. That effort led Krall to speak with Stauffer's dad, which then began the early connection between the pair.
In the 8th grade, Stauffer crushed her previous marks, landing a record-setting throw of 43 feet, 11 inches.
"My eighth grade year helped me," Stauffer said. "I practiced mostly at the high school."
That training, staged early in the development process, has been yielding high dividends ever since. Krall believes there can be no substitute for knowledge, even if talent and athleticism are readily available.
"There's such a learning curve," said Krall, who coached PIAA Class AAA shotput champion Kyle Felpel in 2012. "When you get involved in this event, there are little nuances that need to be understood. I always think the sooner you get involved in it the better."
The core focus for Stauffer initially has been with positioning. As a glider, there have been revisions made to the positioning of her feet, arms and head. Film sessions have been utilized to correct imperfections.
"She's powerful and quick," Krall said, "but sometimes she tends to get out of position."
The work has led to impressive marks over four straight weeks in January. She uncorked a 40 feet, 3 inch throw at the Lebanon Valley College Indoor Meet on January 12, later replicating the number at an invitational at Albright College four days later.
On January 25, Stauffer unloaded her current personal best, landing the state-high 41-7.5 at the Franklin & Marshall Invitational.
"She deserves a lot of credit," Krall says. "She's been practicing a lot, so I think she's really learning more and more about what makes the shot put work."
But there's more to Stauffer than just track. She's also a highly rated field hockey goalkeeper. She recently traveled to Florida to compete in a showcase tournament for up-and-coming athletes.
Ultimately, she holds passion and talent in both the shot put and field hockey. But Krall doesn't believe one needs to be chosen over the other. Each sport yields supportive coaches willing to help her through the process.
"I support her in field hockey 100 percent," Krall said. "And I'm sure they support her in track as well. It's all about the athlete and their future. Right now she's trying to see where she can really develop."
There are roads Stauffer still needs to cross.
