Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(written by Hannah Bevis, Student Sports Information Assistant)

Mar. 1, 2016 - When North Central College junior Kayla Etherton thought about her favorite memories from the current indoor track and field season, it didn't take her very long to pick the most memorable one.

"My record," she said, laughing. "That was a pretty big deal…that was pretty cool."

In her sixth meet of the season, Etherton broke North Central's record in the weight throw when she threw a personal best of 52 feet, 8 3/4 inches at the Chicagoland Indoor Championships. She improved upon that effort at last weekend's College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Indoor Championships, placing second with a mark of 53'4 1/2."

She might not have been a thrower at all, were it not for a junior high volleyball coach who noticed that Etherton might have a natural talent for it.

"I started throwing in eighth grade, so I started throwing late," said Etherton. "I did volleyball in seventh grade, and my coach [told me] "Maybe not volleyball, but you're really good at spiking, so maybe you'll like throwing."

Etherton has been throwing ever since, in addition to playing basketball through junior high and part of high school. She's always been active, she says, with both her and her brother competing in a variety of sports as they grew up, but Etherton has been involved in a wide-range of activities throughout her whole life. In addition to being one of two upperclassmen in the throws group for track, the interactive media studies major also plays the oboe and the cymbals for two of the college's bands, and she works in business operations for the College's maintenance office as well. 

"It's nice to have other things to do and hobbies and stuff like that," said Etherton. "It's definitely important to me. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have everything to do…It is challenging. I guess I like to do a lot so it's just kind of, I'm always busy, so I'm used to it.

After a tumultuous sophomore season that left the throwers on the team without a coach, Etherton and her teammates have come back strong this year. With new coach Jane Vatchev and graduate assistant Taylor Throckmorton, plus five new freshmen on the team, the women have been having a strong season during Etherton's junior year despite two of their top seniors graduating last year.

"We lost (four-time shot put All-American Ebony Stallworth) and (two-time hammer throw All-American Lina Baker), our two top people, both nationally qualified throwers, so that was tough. But we recruited a ton of freshman, really good throwers, we've got about four or five freshman, two that are really kicking butt right now. Naomi [Yamane] and Hannah [Kats] are both doing really good, and the rest of them, they're going to get there."

While her team's doing well on the throwing field, Etherton also enjoys being a tight-knit group as a track team, something that she appreciates in all aspects of her life.

"The track team- we're a family," she said. "It's just really easy to get along with everyone, and the community is really tight."

"It's nice to be a part of lots of things," she added. "Just being a member- even if you're not a leader, you're still part of a group. I'm a very naturally shy person, so it's nice to connect with other people because it expands my horizons, and I get out of my shell."

It's part of the reason that Etherton is involved in so many different parts of campus, competing on the athletic field, working in business, playing an instrument and working in graphic design. She's always been busy, she says, but she likes to be involved with so many different parts of campus, branching out into a variety of friend groups.

"They're all very different people, and it's always cool when they come together. Mostly athletes stay with athletes, and band people stay with band people, but there's a lot of meshing at this school," said Etherton.

The Cardinals will compete in their final meet before the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championshipos, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Last Chance Qualifier, on Saturday.