Back when she was a freshman, Shanell Lyons knew she wanted to do something in track.

“I didn’t want to run,” she said.

Lyons walked over to the discus ring and found an event in which she could excel.

Now, four years later, the Muskogee High School senior is poised to make her third consecutive appearance in the state meet later this week in Ardmore.

She comes in as a Class 6A regional champion, throwing 106 feet, 6 inches at the meet last week in Skiatook.

That’s not bad for someone who had to teach herself how to throw.

“We had a coach who really didn’t know what he was doing and I learned how from other people,” Lyons said. “I started doing it in seventh grade. I like the discus because I’m actually good at it.”

But her technique may be a little different from those who are familiar with the event. Lyons doesn’t spin in the circle but rather stands and lets it go.

“I’m a power thrower,” she said.

Lyons is also serious about the discus, according to MHS coach Angie Hillmon. She doesn’t have to watch Lyons all of the time.

“Shanell knows when she has a bad or good throw,” Hillmon said. “She corrects herself on what she does wrong. I’m watching her for 30-40 minutes and the rest of the time I’m working the sprinters.

“Shanell has been doing conditioning and strength training on her own. She’s also did some running on her own.”

A good example of self-correction came at regionals last week. She was throwing into a strong wind and knew enough to throw the discus flatter and not as high in the air to avoid the wind.

“She did really well,” Hillmon said.