Stamatia Scarvelis can add national champion to her list of accomplishments this year.
Stamatia Scarvelis is the junior national champion in the women’s shot put.
The Dos Pueblos High senior-to-be rose to the occasion at the USA Track and Field Junior Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday, throwing a personal best of 52-1.75 to win the shot put title and earn a spot on the U.S. team for the Pan American Games.
Scarvelis, the two-time CIF California State Meet champion, beat Arizona State-bound Magdalyn Ewen of Minnesota, the nation’s leading high school shot putter, and a field of top-rated collegiate juniors at Drake Stadium.
Seeded fourth in the competition, she recorded her winning throw on her first attempt of an impressive series. She had throws of 50-2, 49-10, 51-6.50 and 52-0.
Oklahoma State freshman Chase Ealy finished second at 51-8.25 and UC Irvine’s Itohan Aikhionbare placed third at 51-0. Ewen was seventh.
Scarvelis will be representing the red, white and blue at the Pan Am Games in Medellin, Colombia, Aug. 23-25.
Her winning and national-leading mark at the USATF Junior Championships surpassed her previous best of 51-11, which she set during qualifying at the CIF State Meet. Before that, she threw 51-9.25 ?at the CIF-SS Masters Meet and??50-4.50 at the CIF-SS Division 2 Prelims.
Scarvelis is coached by Kent and Ramona Pagel.
