Westmoreland County Senior Spotlight: Hempfield’s Laney Springer

By: Anthony DiFilippo
Monday, May 6, 2024 | 12:31 PM

On April 13, teams and individuals participated in the Lady Spartan/Wildcat Invitational, and Hempfield won the girls team title.

It figures to be one of many accolades the team earns this season.

One of the members of the team, senior Laney Springer, was second in the javelin, throwing more than 112 feet.

“I’m very happy to be part of a team of such amazing girls. We all get along so well, and they’re like sisters to me,” Springer said.

Just a few weeks later, at the Roddick High School Invitational at Shippensburg, Springer broke a personal record, throwing more than 125 feet, while finishing fifth.

Hempfield is known for having an elite throwing program.

One of Springer’s teammates last year, Liz Tapper, won the shot put and discus at the WPIAL championships, and now she’s at Michigan.

Tapper’s someone that Springer’s spent some time with, in both track and volleyball.

“Liz is always focused on her performance. Watching her has taught me that hard work pays off,” Springer said.

On the boys’ team, Peyton Murray has the best recorded discus throw in the state this year.

“I’m really happy for him. I know he works extremely hard, so he deserves it all,” Springer said.

Two of the bigger events on the schedule are the WPIAL team championships and the WPIAL individual championships in early May.

“My goals are to continue beating my PR and to throw a state-qualifying distance at WPIALs,” Springer said.

Springer plans to attend West Virginia to major in accounting. Unfortunately, they don’t have throwing on their track team, but she hopes to possibly participate in a club sport to stay active.

This week, Springer took some time for a Senior Spotlight Q&A:

How did you get started with javelin?

Funny story, actually. I had coach (Melissa) White, my javelin coach, as an English teacher in sixth grade, then I saw her again at a grad party in the summer after my freshman year. The grad party was for one of my family members who she had coached. She told me she has been waiting for a Springer to try out javelin because of our softball backgrounds, so I decided to quit high school softball to give it a try that following spring. I do not regret my decision one bit.

What do you think about your recent performances?

Honestly, I was not happy with my performance at the Lady Spartans/Wildcat Invitational. I feel I could have done a lot better, but it is what it is. At the end of the day, my team won the meet, so that’s all that really matters. As for the Roddick High School Invitational, I was extremely pleased with my performance because I had a massive PR that was finally over 125 feet.

How has being part of Hempfield’s track program helped your development as a javelin thrower?

My amazing coaches and teammates really aided my development as a javelin thrower. None of this would have been possible without Coach White. I think having good coaches and teammates is important because it really keeps you motivated and wanting to always be your best.

What did the process of choosing a college look like for you?

My oldest sister, Madison, just graduated from (West Virginia) this past fall, and I’ve also had other family members go there, so I’ve just been around it so much I’ve fallen in love. I’ve known for a while now that I want to go there, so I really didn’t even consider any other colleges.

What is one thing that people may not know about you?

I am a massive Pokémon fan.

Tags: Hempfield