Kansas State University Athletics
SE: Self-Belief, Past Experiences Fuel Ashley Petr’s Journey from Walk-On to All-American Hopeful
May 21, 2019 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
From walk-on to scholarship, from Division II student-athlete to Big 12 runner-up, from 47-meter personal bests in the discus to 53-meter "bad days," Ashley Petr has come a long way. Just how far goes exceeds these feats, too.
The secret to the K-State track and field junior's rise lies in her past, in how she uses it as fuel instead of an excuse. It lies in her personality, built on a never-enough attitude and self-belief.
"You just have to think about the end goal," Petr said, as one of 25 Wildcats traveling to compete in the NCAA West Preliminary this week in Sacramento, California. "You have to remember what you're training for and where you came from."
Where Petr came from is part what makes her No. 11 ranking in the NCAA's West Region and No. 18 ranking in the country so impressive.
A volleyball and track and field star at Adams Central High School in Hastings, Nebraska — she left with school records in the discus and single-season hitting efficiency — her athletic career was derailed when she was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome the fall of her senior season.
Essentially, a vein in her shoulder was compressed between her collarbone and first rib. It required serious surgery.
Petr said she had her first rib and some muscles removed, along with a brand-new donor vein put in. The recovery process started with three months of "nothing," followed by slowly putting regaining strength.
"It was a process. It was a challenge," she said. "I took it."
Despite what some might have seen as a sign to end her athletic career, Petr pushed on.
"I'm sure that's what my mom wanted me to do, but I'm not going to listen to her. I'm, like, 'Whatever, mom. I do what I want,'" Petr said, laughing. "There was that concern, but I knew I could recover from it. It was just a little setback."
The setback did stunt her growth in the discus and, as a result, limited her opportunities at the next level.
Petr ended up at Nebraska-Kearney, a Division II school about an hour away from her hometown. She competed one season there, after which she decided to look elsewhere for a different major. Track was an afterthought at this point.
She narrowed it down to Nebraska and K-State, both with solid animal science programs. K-State's tradition in track and field, especially in the throwing events, tipped the scales south toward Manhattan.
"All those really successful (throwers) and Big 12 champions. I was, like, 'Wow, they have a really good track program here, too,'" she recalled. "I didn't know if I was going to be good enough to join the track team, honestly."
That didn't keep her from trying.
Petr said she emailed Greg Watson, then K-State's assistant coach for the throwing events, in late June or early July of 2017. She assumed it would be a waste, that the team would not have room for her or even want her. Watson called her back less than a week later, a day or two before she had to decide whether or not to enroll at Nebraska. He told her she could walk on.
"Two phone calls and an email," Petr said, "that's all it took."
As a walk-on last season, Petr placed eighth in the weight throw at the Big 12 Indoor Championship and fifth in the discus at the conference's outdoor meet.
In the hammer throw, her top mark jumped from 45.04m/147-09 at Nebraska-Kearney to 54.71m/179-06 last season. It's now 58.51m/191-11.
Her personal best in the discus went from 47.37m/155-05 at Nebraska-Kearney to 53.17m/174-05 at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship last season. It's now 56.32m/184-09, which placed her second at this year's Big 12 Championship.
Bringing up this performance, the third-best mark in program history, reveals a part of why Petr's been so successful.
"Honestly, I was kind of unsatisfied with myself a little bit because no one wants to get second. That's the first loser," she said, laughing. "I was happy, obviously, going from fifth to a Big 12 runner-up. I'm making huge strides that I didn't know I could do, really. I'm never satisfied, I guess, with myself, but that's a good mark."
Now on scholarship, Petr's pushing to reach another goal of hers, the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas.
To do so, she will need to finish in the top 12 this week at the NCAA West Preliminary meet. Last year, 53.18m/174-06 claimed the last qualifying spot out of the West. Petr considers anything below 53 meters a "bad day" now. So, she's confident she can get there, to the place where All-Americans are crowned, much like she believed she could reach this point when she joined K-State's team as an unknown two summers back.
"I'm an optimistic person, so I'm one who thinks that anyone can do anything they set their mind to. I knew I had to be successful in order to get a scholarship. I knew it was going to be hard, too, but I did it," she said. "I feel like I'm making up for lost time, almost. It's cool to reflect, but I think about how much better I could be, too."
From walk-on to scholarship, from Division II student-athlete to Big 12 runner-up, from 47-meter personal bests in the discus to 53-meter "bad days," Ashley Petr has come a long way. Just how far goes exceeds these feats, too.
The secret to the K-State track and field junior's rise lies in her past, in how she uses it as fuel instead of an excuse. It lies in her personality, built on a never-enough attitude and self-belief.
"You just have to think about the end goal," Petr said, as one of 25 Wildcats traveling to compete in the NCAA West Preliminary this week in Sacramento, California. "You have to remember what you're training for and where you came from."
Where Petr came from is part what makes her No. 11 ranking in the NCAA's West Region and No. 18 ranking in the country so impressive.
A volleyball and track and field star at Adams Central High School in Hastings, Nebraska — she left with school records in the discus and single-season hitting efficiency — her athletic career was derailed when she was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome the fall of her senior season.
Essentially, a vein in her shoulder was compressed between her collarbone and first rib. It required serious surgery.
Petr said she had her first rib and some muscles removed, along with a brand-new donor vein put in. The recovery process started with three months of "nothing," followed by slowly putting regaining strength.
"It was a process. It was a challenge," she said. "I took it."
Despite what some might have seen as a sign to end her athletic career, Petr pushed on.
"I'm sure that's what my mom wanted me to do, but I'm not going to listen to her. I'm, like, 'Whatever, mom. I do what I want,'" Petr said, laughing. "There was that concern, but I knew I could recover from it. It was just a little setback."
The setback did stunt her growth in the discus and, as a result, limited her opportunities at the next level.
Petr ended up at Nebraska-Kearney, a Division II school about an hour away from her hometown. She competed one season there, after which she decided to look elsewhere for a different major. Track was an afterthought at this point.
She narrowed it down to Nebraska and K-State, both with solid animal science programs. K-State's tradition in track and field, especially in the throwing events, tipped the scales south toward Manhattan.
"All those really successful (throwers) and Big 12 champions. I was, like, 'Wow, they have a really good track program here, too,'" she recalled. "I didn't know if I was going to be good enough to join the track team, honestly."
That didn't keep her from trying.
Petr said she emailed Greg Watson, then K-State's assistant coach for the throwing events, in late June or early July of 2017. She assumed it would be a waste, that the team would not have room for her or even want her. Watson called her back less than a week later, a day or two before she had to decide whether or not to enroll at Nebraska. He told her she could walk on.
"Two phone calls and an email," Petr said, "that's all it took."
As a walk-on last season, Petr placed eighth in the weight throw at the Big 12 Indoor Championship and fifth in the discus at the conference's outdoor meet.
In the hammer throw, her top mark jumped from 45.04m/147-09 at Nebraska-Kearney to 54.71m/179-06 last season. It's now 58.51m/191-11.
Her personal best in the discus went from 47.37m/155-05 at Nebraska-Kearney to 53.17m/174-05 at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship last season. It's now 56.32m/184-09, which placed her second at this year's Big 12 Championship.
Bringing up this performance, the third-best mark in program history, reveals a part of why Petr's been so successful.
"Honestly, I was kind of unsatisfied with myself a little bit because no one wants to get second. That's the first loser," she said, laughing. "I was happy, obviously, going from fifth to a Big 12 runner-up. I'm making huge strides that I didn't know I could do, really. I'm never satisfied, I guess, with myself, but that's a good mark."
Now on scholarship, Petr's pushing to reach another goal of hers, the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas.
To do so, she will need to finish in the top 12 this week at the NCAA West Preliminary meet. Last year, 53.18m/174-06 claimed the last qualifying spot out of the West. Petr considers anything below 53 meters a "bad day" now. So, she's confident she can get there, to the place where All-Americans are crowned, much like she believed she could reach this point when she joined K-State's team as an unknown two summers back.
"I'm an optimistic person, so I'm one who thinks that anyone can do anything they set their mind to. I knew I had to be successful in order to get a scholarship. I knew it was going to be hard, too, but I did it," she said. "I feel like I'm making up for lost time, almost. It's cool to reflect, but I think about how much better I could be, too."
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