Lacie Rasley wins throwing event at the USA Track & Field Youth Championships

Anna Jelmini's not the only one around here who can throw her way into world competition.

Stockdale High's Alex Collatz and Shafter's Lacie Rasley each won a throwing event at the USA Track & Field Youth Championships this week and advance to compete at the IAAF World Youth Championships next week in Bressanone, Italy.

The events are for 16- and 17-year olds. Both Collatz and Rasley were sophomores last year.

Collatz threw 152 feet in the discus Tuesday at the USATF event in Ypsilanti, Mich., not close to her personal best of 177-0 but enough to out-distance her nearest competition by more than five feet.

Then on Wednesday, Rasley put the shot 43-9.25 to beat Sarah Howard of Dublin, Ga., by 12.25 inches. Rasley's personal best is 44-0.25.

The top two finishers in each event were up for consideration to attend the world youth games, and USATF selected Collatz and Rasley.

Shafter High's Jelmini competed in the discus in Poland last year as part of the USATF World Junior Championships team, one age group up from Youth.