NewsTribune Athlete of the Week: Henry-Senachwine’s Laney Lester

Henry-Senachwine sophomore Laney Lester put in plenty of work in the offseason and it showed throughout her junior track and field season.

Lester was one of the area’s top performers in the discus and shot put and she ended her season on a high note.

At the Class 1A State Meet, Lester tossed the discus 37.37 meters to place fifth.

“After Laney did not make the top 12 last year, she was laser focused on placing at state,” Henry coach Jarrod Lester said. “She worked hours and hours at the track. A local woman even told her she’s in the neighborhood more than she is and she lives by the track.

“At state, Laney tried to keep a calmer, focused approach to throwing and it paid off with her first throw being her best at state of 37.37 meters. The coaches are very proud of her efforts and determination.”

For her performance, Laney Lester was voted the NewsTribune Athlete of the Week, sponsored by Central Bank, Witek Wealth Management and the Spring Valley, Mendota and Princeton McDonald’s.

Laney Lester answered a few questions from NewsTribune sports editor Kevin Chlum.

When and how did you get into track and field?

I started in sixth grade and I really wanted to be a runner, but I got put in throwing events too, which I really wasn’t a fan of at the time. I really got into throwing my seventh grade year when I started getting a little better at it.

What do you like about competing in track and field?

I like the atmosphere of track meets a lot. I don’t throw well when I’m tense so I really like having my teammates there to talk to and kind of goof off with until I need to throw. At state, all the girls were really nice and I got to talk to them and it helped me not be so tense.

What makes you a good thrower?

I really love throwing. I throw for fun a lot. I’ll go out if I want to unwind. I love to lift too and it helps a lot with my throws. I also have my dad recording all my throws so I can look at them later.

What is your favorite sports memory?

My favorite sports memory has to be coming back to town after state this year to a fire truck escort and a parade of cars that was a couple blocks long. It was really cool to see so many people come out to support Nakeita (Kessling) and I.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

I would definitely travel to Italy for the food.

What are your plans this summer?

This summer I’m going to do some summer basketball and a couple summer track meets, but I really want to focus on lifting as much as I can.

What is a movie or TV show you never get tired of watching?

My favorite show is New Girl and I’m rewatching it right now.

If you could get advice from any athlete, who would it be and why?

My favorite athlete to watch is Sandra Pekovic. She’s an Olympic gold medalist in discus and I would love advice from her because she has so much experience and I feel like I could learn so much from her.

What is your favorite food?

My favorite food right now is orange chicken. I ate it before prelims on Thursday so I had to eat it again before I went to bed Friday for good luck.

What are your thoughts on your performance at state?

I’m really happy with how state went. I ended up moving up two places from what I was ranked. I was more comfortable with the atmosphere this year after competing last year and I feel like that helped a lot. I’m really looking forward to coming back to compete at state my senior year.