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Ebert happy her focus is on discus

Seven Rivers senior standout blossoms into a state hopeful after giving up softball.

By DAWN REISS
Published April 21, 2005

LECANTO - Seven Rivers Christian senior Rachel Ebert is glad she won't have to field any ground balls at today's Class A, Region 2 track and field meet.

The thought of having broken teeth dangling from her mouth is too much.

As an eighth-grader, Ebert had hoped to go to the state championships for five consecutive years. She qualified in the 1,600 meters in 2001.

But Ebert also took to playing softball.

One day in the outfield, she was trying to get a ground ball when it bounced off the uneven soil - prior to Ebert's glove touching it - and broke two of her front teeth.

"I fielded the ball to second base and then all this blood started gushing out," Ebert said.

"It didn't hit my face real hard, but it was enough," she said. "I had braces on, and that was the only thing that kept my teeth from falling out."

Two root canals later, to implant her teeth, Ebert turned her focus to track.

As a freshman, she finished 10th in Class A 800 and was a state qualifier in three events.

Then as a sophomore in basketball, Ebert was going up for a rebound when a teammate landed on her foot. A doctor's visit concluded that it was badly bruised but not broken. A few weeks later, a teammate stepped on her foot again, breaking it and sidelining Ebert for the rest of the school year.

Last season, Ebert took her fear head on. Despite her softball misfortune, she played on the squad.

"I was told I could be a catcher with a face mask on, so I had nothing to worry about," Ebert said. "But I was really bad at it, so I got moved to second base."

The dual practices proved to be too much.

At the regional track qualifier last year, Ebert scratched in the discus, throwing out of bounds on three chances.

"I can't believe its turned out this way," said Ebert, who lives in Homosassa. "I had planned to go to state every year."

Ebert re-focused and opted not to play softball her senior year.

"Even now, I'm still scared of ground balls," she said. "I was at a baseball game a few days ago, and a foul ball came near me and I was terrified."

The extra time to devote to track helped Ebert improve her technique.

Seven Rivers assistant coach and athletic director Jamie Richard said Ebert is more consistent in her discus throws this season, hitting the 100-foot range on a more frequent basis than last year.

Ebert, 17, has one final chance to qualify for state in today's meet. In addition to the discus, she will compete in the 400 meters and 4x400 relay. Her best discus performance this season is 105 feet.

"I just want to get to state," Ebert said. "It's been such a long time."

[Last modified April 21, 2005, 01:05:18]