Southern Local's Maddy Jones warms up during the Div. IV shot put on Friday at the state track meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus. (Photo by Ron Firth)

COLUMBUS — Southern Local senior Maddy Jones left the state track and field meet in tears again.

“I’m crying happy tears,” Jones said Friday after becoming the second Southern girl ever to stand on the podium at state.

After finishing no higher than 14th place in her previous two trips to the state meet, Jones delivered an eighth-place finish in the Division IV shot put at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

“This is all I ever wanted, to stand on the podium,” she said.

Her best throw of 39-feet-2 3/4 came on her third attempt. She opened with throws of 38-1 3/4 and 38-2 1/2 and was leading after the first flight.

“I saw the first one and knew it was going to be a good day,” Jones said. “Even in warmups, I had a good one and I felt good.”

Four throwers went over 41 feet.

“I think we’re in the best division,” Jones said. “The marks have been ridiculous.”

Last year, freshman Kiah Sloan was sixth in the long jump to become Southern’s first girl to place at state. Jones is the first Southern thrower — boy or girl — to place at state.

Sloan was at the state meet Friday to watch her brother, Braxton, in a Division III race.

“She came up and gave me a hug and said, ‘You deserved it,'” Jones said. “We did something at our school that has never been done before. We made history.”

Jones left the state meet with two things that had been missing – a smile and a medal.

“You can hope for more, but I’m happy,” she said

“It’s rewarding to know I had a plan and everything worked out,” she said. “It was all for a reason. This medal today.”

Meet notes

• Jones, the Southern valedictorian, will be throwing at the University of Mount Union.

She will study biology and wants to be a doctor someday.

“My mom is in the health field and I see how they help people,” Jones said.

Her future will include four years of college, four years of medical school and two years residency.

“I feel like I can do it,” Jones said.

• Girard senior Braxton Sloan, who set the Southern school record last year, advanced to the state finals in Division III 400-meter dash.

Sloan finished fourth in his heat and eighth overall in Friday’s preliminaries.

The top time was turned in by Cleveland Glenville senior Jay’vier Kerr (48.46). He later won the Division III long jump title.