Kassena Ridgel made it big by signing for college.
A signing ceremony was held April 22 for five Centralia athletes, including Ridgel signing to throw discus for Columbia College track and …
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Kassena Ridgel made it big by signing for college.
A signing ceremony was held April 22 for five Centralia athletes, including Ridgel signing to throw discus for Columbia College track and field. The senior was an all-state discus thrower last year with her third-place finish.
Ridgel said she visited many colleges, but Columbia College seemed like the one. She plans to study nursing to eventually become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.
“Columbia College felt like home for sure,” Ridgel said. “Mason (McCaleb), the throwing coach, is so welcoming. I feel like he is really a factor in my decision as well. You need to have a good coach to enjoy the sport.”
Ridgel had her best throw of the season at state last year at 38.68 meters. She achieved her personal-best mark of 38.86 meters when she won the Centralia Invitational this year.
There isn’t indoor discus, so Ridgel isn’t sure what she will be doing during the colder months yet. She said she is open to taking on another throwing event as she has done in high school. Discus became her primary event the day she started.
“I’m not super tall, which is a great attribute to have when you’re a thrower,” Ridgel said. “In discus, it focuses on technique a lot more than you would think. I love the technique of it. It’s so intricate with all the details that go into your form.”
When it comes to having a good coach in high school, Ridgel said Donnie Harn was the coach that helped her a lot and is “the best coach ever.” Harn emphasized the importance of technique to Ridgel, she said, to compensate for her lack of length. Ridgel said it helps to have strength, which she evidently has from hitting home runs in softball, but technique is what leads to consistently good throws.
“Harn has worked with me for hours upon hours of technique,” Ridgel said. “It’s something we do every single day. The muscle memory I’ve built up over the past four years is insane. That’s what Harn focuses on. He’s a great coach, and he does an amazing job explaining the technique to where I can understand it and perform it.”
The coaches and teammates are what Ridgel will miss the most about Centralia. She said the environment is what helped her love throwing so much.
“I’m really excited,” Ridgel said. “I’ve had the best time in high school throwing. It’s just a great experience with all my friends. Getting to improve over the four years, I’m excited to continue that journey.”
