North's Larson having sensational track season
Josie Larson has been a gift that just keeps giving for the Eau Claire North track and field team. In her junior year, Larson already holds two schools records and is on her way to breaking a third.
On May 9 at the Stan Bar Relays, Larson set her personal record in the shot put after throwing a distance of 38 feet, 6 inches.
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Larson holds the school record for the both pole vault and discus. The discus record is now 134 feet, 2 inches. The Big Rivers Conference Championship took place at Chippewa Falls High School on May 19. Larson pole vaulted 11 feet, 6 inches.
She was named the field MVP for the meet.
Breaking the school record at the conference championship meet is something Larson said will forever be a core memory.
'I came into this season thinking it was definitely in reach,' Larson said. 'I continued to just practice and gain more confidence. When it finally happened I was kind of just stunned, but the environment and the emotions were all there. It was awesome.'
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She said the motivation to get into track and field came from both of her grandfathers.
'My grandpa was a pole vaulter and when I was younger he would always say, 'You're gonna be a pole vaulter one day,' and now I'm here,' Larson said. 'Throwing was just one of those things that I tried and enjoyed. I knew I was I on the muscular side, so I gave it a shot and it turned out to be something good.'
Larson is an all-around athlete. She is a competitive gymnast for the Huskies and she is also a member of the volleyball team.
North coach Adam Sturgis has a list of compliments dedicated to Larson.
'She truly is a generational talent in a number of different ways,' Sturgis said. 'And what kind of separates her is that she outworks everybody, there's no doubt about it. And I am not talking about just on the track, but in the classroom as well.'
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Sturgis said Larson has truly had an influence on the team.
'She's in a zone when she's here and that picks up all the kids around her,' he said. 'She has upped the level of intensity from practices to competitions.'
Sturgis may be the head coach, and the team may have top-notch coaches for Larson's events, but he said Larson is not a product of him.
'I almost feel more like an orchestra director where she's producing the music. I can't take credit for most of what she's done because she's done all the work,' he said.
Sturgis was impressed by the countless hours of work Larson put in during the offseason.
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'She does a lot of work with pole vault camps and clubs. There's a private pole vault club in Menomonie that she's a part of and that's where she's really grown,' he said. 'It's so vital to take that time when you have the opportunity to really make some improvements outside of the season.'
Larson does not get to practice sprinting often because of her shot put and discus practice, but she does a great job in balancing all three events.
'She's going to continue to improve, and the stronger she gets the more explosive she gets,' Sturgis said. 'She has that type of talent where it is very realistic to see her on the podium at state.'
Larson's plan is to take her track and field talents to the collegiate level.
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'I know that I am capable of so much more and there's always something I can do better. There's always room for improvement,' she said. 'Nothing is perfect.'
The Huskies are heading into regionals on Tuesday and Larson said there are some nerves but she is not new to this.
'I have the ability and I've been gifted the ability to be able to move my body efficiently,' she said. 'I have the energy, I have the strength, I have the people to support me, so why not push myself to my full potential.'
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North's Larson having sensational track season
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