Kayla Nelson was visibly upset after her Class 4 shot put appearance Saturday morning in Jefferson City.

The junior finished 13th with a final toss of 34 feet, 6 inches. 

“She consistently went all season long in the 36s, then she had that 37 and 38 late in the season,” Warrenton Head Coach Steve Wurtzel said. “Was it pressure? Who knows. But if you flip the glass around, she’s 13th best out of everyone in her class, and that’s the best way to look at these things.”

Nia Lyles of Webster Groves won the event at 41-8 1/4.

Nine of the 16 throwers had distances of at least 38 feet, which Nelson hit once this season.

She had a toss of 38-6 at the Troy Invitational in April.

“Now she knows more about it with being there,” Wurtzel said. “She had the opportunity to get a taste of it, and you can tell she wants more. She’s not satisfied, and we want our kids to not be satisfied.”

Nelson hit at least 34 feet once as a freshman and four  times last season.

This year she cleared the mark in every meet, and Wurtzel hopes she can take another step forward in 2018.

“She had tremendous growth from last year, and she’s going to go out and do that again next year. She’s going to get into the weight room and get even better,” he said. “As long as you go out and compete, that’s the biggest thing. Kayla was stressed because she had never been in that environment, and our kids aren’t used to going every year. Once you get used to it, that’s when you start to perform a little better.”