Junior Courtney Daniel currently ranks seventh in the nation in the shot put. But she didn’t start out that way.

“I started track because it was the only sport you could do at the time, and I knew that I would have to run anyway. And I was like, if I’m going to have to run I might as well do something that I’m possibly going to be good at,” Daniel said.

Daniel, who is also on the varsity golf team, recently set the school shot put record at 46 feet and half an inch. Along with her national ranking, she is also ranked third in 5A in Texas and fourth overall in the state.

Coach Sean Bright has seen her train nonstop.

“Watching her growth these last two years has been an amazing thing,” Bright said. “Almost every day during the summer and through our football season, I would see her out at our shot put ring working on her craft,” Bright said.

Daniel will compete at the Victor Lopez Classic at Rice University on March 21 and 22. She will compete in the shot put and discus events.

“We’ve been working really hard on getting a powerful, linear finish on my throws,” Daniel said. “So my goal is to PR in shot put. Obviously, that’s always the goal.”

Even though this is a much larger meet than usual, Daniel is keeping her cool.

“I try not to treat any meet too differently than another,” Daniel said. “I find that I take every single meet seriously. So if I tried to put so much more weight on one of them, it’s gonna end up stressing me out.”

Though she has not even competed at Rice yet, Daniel is already preparing for what is next.

“This meet is just more of a tune-up for me,” she said. “Next week is the Texas Relays, so I’ll be up at UT-Austin. I’ll be throwing up there, and it’s kind of like the Rice Meet on steroids.”

A year ago, Daniel was only one of two sophomores to qualify for the State Meet in the shot put. She finished sixth after throwing a personal-best 40-7.75. Daniel is building her way to the top. She recognizes the true competition she has to face.

“Every single meet is just a stepping stone,” Daniel said. “I’ve said it before I’ll say it again – I’m only competing against myself. Even though there is competition, at the end of the day it’s you against you.”

Being motivated and driven is an important part of being an athlete. By doing so, Daniel has a positive outlook on every day.

“The possibility of tomorrow. That’s like, the most motivating thing for me because you wake up every day and it’s a new day,” Daniel said. “And it’s so exciting to know that tomorrow can be completely different based on what you do today.”

Bright has coached Daniel since her freshman year. He has observed all of her high school progress.

“It’s a fun thing to watch, the intensity and dedication Courtney brings to throwing is impressive for someone her age,” Bright said.

Teammate Emilee Smith looks to Daniel as a role model. Daniel positively impacts the community around her.

“Courtney is the most hardworking and humble person you will ever meet. She pushes everyone on the team in a positive way. She is a great leader,” Smith said.

No matter what, Daniel continues to get stronger with every obstacle. She now prepares to head to the national meet.

“You’re not going to PR every week, and I know, that but it’s one of those things. It’s like okay, well that’s the goal. The goal is to be better, better every day,” Daniel said.

This story was originally published on Park Times on March 21, 2024.