PAGE A16, KEIZERTIMES, APRIL 22, 2022
SPORTS
Taking her shot
BY JOSHUA MANES
At age 9, Salang wanted to start participating herself.
She knows what it is about the sport that she likes.
Of the Keizertimes
“I was just fascinated, I had never seen it before,”
“It’s like a team sport that is based on the individual,
Leadership often comes with age and seniority. It Salang said. “Obviously I saw a lot of sports like volley- and it’s not so much about winning it’s more about set-
takes time to earn the respect of coaches and teammates. ball and basketball growing up. But throwing was kind ting your own records,” Salang said.
Dues must be paid.
of something that I just asked ‘Can I try it, can I try it?’”
Set her own records she has. In the two dual-meets she
But McNary freshman Maile Salang has found herself
And she did. And she succeeded early on.
has participated in so far this season, against Sprague
in that role to begin her Celtic track and field career.
Salang competed in USA Track and Field youth High School and South Salem High School, Salang
“The kids see her throw and they know she’s good so events, winning a state championship in the shot put at placed first in the shot put and discus at both, and took
you automatically have that respect because you can see 9, she said.
first in the javelin against South Salem.
the person is walking the walk
Salang has a couple marks she
and not just talking it,” McNary
hopes to reach by the end of the
track and field head coach David
season. She aims for 120 feet in
Holcomb said. “But when she
the discus and 34 feet in the shot
comes alongside teammates and
put.
is supporting what we’re trying to
Holcomb’s goals for Salang
do with our throwers, just throw-
don’t involve specific distances,
ing with them. She could be the
but rather to continue to compete
kind of athlete that just walks off
and improve.
to the side and does everything
“This year it’s be competitive
on her own but she doesn’t do
at district and place,” Holcomb
that.”
said. “And next year start to push
It isn’t just Salang’s skill and
it to get up into the top-2 and
leadership that excites Holcomb,
throw at Hayward Field.”
it’s her humility.
In her two invitational appear-
“It makes our job as coaches a
ances this season, Salang has
lot easier when there’s not a ton
gone up against more and stiffer
of ego involved, ” Holcomb said.
opposition. She placed fifth in dis-
“She’s there for the sprinters and
cus at both the Titan Track Classic
the long-distance kids. She’s really
and the Wilsonville Invitational.
buying into the team culture.”
At the Titan, Salang also placed
And that humility can be seen
eighth in the shot put and 12th in
when talking to Salang, as she
the javelin. At Wilsonville she fin-
tries to name all of her coaches
ished 15th in the shot put.
from middle school through now
Holcomb sees things opening
to make sure she thanks everyone.
up on the podium as Salang gets
Salang contributes her PRs,
older.
personal records, to the support
“She’s one of the only fresh-
of her coaches, teammates and
men up there so that’s pretty
her family.
exciting because you know as
“I don’t think I would have
these seniors graduate and these
the mindset or the ability to keep
juniors graduate and she’s getting
pushing forward and setting new
into the 11th and 12th grade years
goals without their help,” Salang
she’s going to find herself at the
said.
top,” Holcomb said.
Making varsity wasn’t neces-
Her family influence can
sarily her goal heading into the
be seen not just in her sport of
year, Salang said she just wanted
choice, but also in her outside
to throw and would have been
interests. She participates in
happy on varsity or JV. But the
mock trial at McNary, and enjoys
chance to compete against higher
learning about law. Her father is a
level throwers was one she looked
detective, her mother worked for
forward to and is improving from.
the state for more than 20 years,
“I get to learn from these older
sisters Leilanni is a Coast Guard
people and see how they react to
and Kalea is at the Coast Guard
getting PRs or how they deal with
Academy.
the pressure,” Salang said. “And
Salang says she might pursue
it’s cool to be surrounded by a
a career in law in the future.
bunch of upperclassmen.”
“If I still find an interest in it,”
Salang started learning about
Salang said. “I think it’s really fun
track and field at an early age.
to learn about it, especially the
Her older sisters, Leilani, 22, and
classes here. I can expand my
Kalea, 21, both competed as throw-
knowledge on it.”
ers during their times at Blanchet Maile Salang throws the shot put at a dual meet against Sprague on Wednesday, April 13, at McNary High
But the freshman has time to
Catholic School. Her father even School. Salang won the event with a personal record distance of 34 feet, 4.25 inches.
make decisions like that.
Photo by Joshua Manes of Keizertimes
learned to throw.