Joy Sanders wins second state title

Published 2:13 pm Thursday, May 6, 2010

Joy Sanders has no plans to slow down after claiming the state 4A shot put championship. 

Next week, the St. Clair County High School senior begins practicing with Birmingham’s Speed City AAU track and field team, and then it’s off to the University of South Alabama in the fall, where she hopes to qualify for the track team as a walk-on.  From there, she has her sights set on the ultimate gold medal.

“My goal is to be in the Olympics within five years,” she said.  “If I’m on the American team, the Jamaican team, or some other team, I don’t care.  I just want to be in the Olympics.”

The two-time state track champion is off to a good start.  Her winning shot put distance was 35’9.25” at the state track meet last weekend, and she finished second in the discus with a distance of 107’7”. 

“Overall, it was my best discus throw this year, but the shot put could’ve been better,” she said, even if she threw the eight-pound shot one foot and an inch-and-a-half farther than the runner-up did.

Joy won her first state shot put championship as a sophomore, after finishing third to two seniors as a freshman.  She has finished first in shot put and discus in the county and sectional meets during each of the three years she competed in the field events. 

Joining St. Clair’s team as a ninth grader, “I thought about running but couldn’t do that, so I did shot put and discus because I just wanted to throw something.  It was a great release, and then I started really learning about hold and technique form.”  Glides, power throws, push-ups, weightlifting, and diagnostic training with medicine balls help her stay in shape for competition, she added.

Joy, the daughter of Valerie Sanders, said she plans to study radiology at college in Mobile while pursuing athletics.  “I want to be famous.  I want my name to be out there all over the world.  I want to be a role model and a blessing to somebody’s child.”