HHS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
by John Beisser, Sports Writer
For the past two years, Angela Davia was dwarfed by the giant shadow cast by Taryn O’Connor, one of Somerset County’s best female throwers ever. For the past two years, she finished second in the Skyland Conference Championships, with O’Connor taking home first place medals.
During their competitive practice sessions, and while throwing side-by-side with O’Connor during meets, Davia absorbed O’Connor’s wise counsel, she picked her brain, asked her questions. But mostly, she bided her time.
Well, O’Connor has graduated and is now a Division I athlete, a member of the Fairleigh Dickinson University track and field team.
Angela Davia? Her time is now.
Last Sunday, Davia followed her first place finish in last month’s Somerset County Championships with an even more impressive performance, a first place showing in the 2008 Skyland Conference Championships.
Davia is the Hillsborough Beacon Athlete of the Week.
Davia’s throw of 35 feet, 5 inches out-distanced second place finisher Rhea Phipps of Ridge, who’s best was a 34-4, while HHS teammate Danielle Deretchin was third at 31-11.5.
”My personal best is over 37 feet but I was pleased to hit 35,” Davia said. “I really haven’t hit 35 in awhile so it was good be up there again. Coach G really helped me out.”
Coach G is Raider throwing coach Chris Guglielmo.
”He gave me some good, sound technical advice and it really helped me,” Davia said. “I was getting too far to the outside of the circle on my throws and he noticed that and when I corrected it, things went more smoothly.”
Davia is a senior and happy to have her moment in the limelight but at the same, appreciative of how helpful O’Connor had been to her through the years.
”Taryn was great,” she said, “I couldn’t beat her but we had a great time throwing together and competing with one another. We were pretty close. She taught me a lot of different things.”
Davia is in the process of her considering her college options. An excellent student, she has been accepted at Rutgers and will most likely go there. Whether she will be a Scarlet Knight or not is up in the air.
”I haven’t contacted the track coaches there but I think I might,” she said. “I would like to continue in college. I actually like throwing the discus better than the shot but I think I’m better at the shot.”