Woodmore senior Carly Pendleton probably had more pressure on her shoulders than any other athlete at last Friday and Saturday's Division III state track and field meet in Columbus.

If your two older sisters had combined for six state discus titles, you'd feel a little bit of pressure, too.

“I've been working since seventh grade on to get to the state meet and hopefully win it, and I did that last Friday,” Pendleton said. “I feel so good and so happy about it. I still can't wrap my mind around it.”

Pendleton added state title No. 7 to the family medal count last Friday when she captured the discus title at Jesse James Memorial Stadium. Her final throw of 156-0 beat runner-up Alyssa Gary's top throw (147-5) by a comfortable margin.

Woodmore senior Carly Pendleton

“It meant the world to me, it really did,” Pendleton said of her title. “I have to thank my dad for so much. He's made me into what I am. Without him I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today.”

Mike Pendleton, Carly's father and Woodmore's girls track and field coach, has been a mentor to all four of his daughters. The oldest, Emily, won state discus titles for Woodmore from 2004-07, and Erin won two more titles in 2008-09. Erin won the 2008 state title with a throw of 168-10, which is still a D-III state meet record.

Carly took second at state a year ago, but she brought the title back home last week.

“It is kind of a relief,” she said. “I put a whole bunch of pressure on myself and I want to be as good as Emily and Erin. I'm so happy I got first in the state and I hope I'm on my way to being as good as they are.”

Emily and Erin are both throwers at the University of Michigan. Carly will throw for Ohio State this fall.

“It never gets old,” Mike Pendleton said of his daughters' discus titles. “There's more excitement in the first one, and it's Carly's first. That's not knocking her being runner-up last year, because that (first-place) girl had to throw a big PR to have that happen. To make it down to state is one thing, but I told Carly this is just as big a moment as Emily winning her first.”

Carly advanced to state by throwing 140-10 to take second behind Gary, her good friend, at the Tiffin regional. Carly's younger sister Megan, who will be a junior at Woodmore next year, threw 117-11 at regionals but failed to qualify to the state meet.

Carly, meanwhile, knew she had one last chance to regain the state discus title for Woodmore and the Pendleton family. Placing second at regionals was no big deal, she said. She just wanted to place in the top four and advance to Columbus.

“I always want to do the best I can,” she said. “I consider from fourth place on up to be (just as good as) first place at regionals. I made it out and that's all I care about at that point in time. After my freshman and sophomore year not making it out, that's the worst feeling in the world.”

Carly, whose career-best throw of 163-3 came this season in a meet at Eastwood, had to fight off nerves after the first flight of throwers competed last Friday.

“Going into state, we've been there many times and we know what it's about,” Mike Pendleton said. “But, whatever you tell kids, they still get nervous. She put pressure on herself. Last year she was runner-up and she wanted to win it this year. With that pressure on herself, she said she was really nervous and it affected her legs. She was sitting No. 1 in between flights. I told her I don't know why you're nervous, you're sitting in first place.”

Gary then got off a longer throw and overtook first place, putting the pressure back on Pendleton.

“I told Carly you've been over 150 (feet) 12 times, you need another one,” her father said. “It's going to take that type of effort to get this done. I was very happy with the outcome. We knew it was in her, it was just a matter of what it was going to take to come out.”

Carly said Emily calmed her down before she went into the circle one last time. She then popped off her winning throw.

“If you take out that last throw, I had a pretty off day,” Carly said. “The first flight, I was so nervous. My legs weren't working at all. I was doing stuff I hadn't done all year. Luckily I had a throw that got me into the finals. My sister helped stretch me out between flights and helped me relax a whole bunch. I tend to psych myself out a little bit and get really nervous. I think about all this stuff and worry about things I can't control. Emily came over and talked to me and talked me down a little bit.”

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