Palmer Ridge's GiGi German captures 4A discus title in first year competing

Luke Zahlmann, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
·2 min read
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May 18—LAKEWOOD — GiGi German couldn't stop herself from throwing a discus like a softball pitcher.

The Palmer Ridge senior has been pitching for a long time and kept going back to muscle memory and trying to loft the object from below her waist. She wasn't going to take failure for an answer in her first, and last, year of discus and put together a 135-foot, 9-inch throw to capture the 4A state title.

In just three months, German grew from a newcomer to the team's leader. Normally, coach Tyler Dall's ears don't perk up when he sees a new thrower coming in that's either a junior or senior. There's so much to learn, that anyone taking on the task with so little time left is typically unable to catch up.

She studied the state's best to make up for lost time.

"I started watching videos of (former Silver Creek thrower) Valarie Allman. She has the record here. She's amazing," German said. "Other than that, it was just doing drills to figure out the footwork, and then trying not to throw it from below like a softball. I've done shot put, but discus is much more technical."

German wasn't expecting to win, and who could blame her?

She dealt with back injuries throughout the softball season and wasn't able to pitch like herself. Then Dall threw a new sport at her to begin the track and field season, with hopes that his group of German, junior Kylie Mayer and senior Angel Arends could make noise at Jeffco Stadium.

The trio finished first, fourth and 15th, respectively. More importantly, they were able to show the Palmer Ridge throwers how much progress can be made it one season.

"GiGi puts her mind to something, and it happens," Dall said. "She was so successful in the shot-put last year. So to take one year and put a championship together, that's all her. I never turn down seniors because they're great leaders. But they don't usually win."

Now Colorado State will get to see what she can do. The first-time coach Brian Bedard saw her, he offered her a scholarship.