Alyssa Robinson spent a lot of time on awards podium during her prep track career at St. Clairsville High School.

Actually, she climbed to the top step of the state podium in both 2012 and 2013 as the Ohio state shot put champion.

Now competing at Penn State University, the former Red Devil made her way onto the awards podium as a collegiate athlete at last weekend’s Big Ten Championship meet held at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.

Robinson finished third in the shot put with a career-best mark of 54-ft-2 to secure her first B1G Championship medal.

“I was able to achieve two of my goals at one time,” Robinson said of earning her first medal and posting a new personal best. “It was very exciting, especially since I was able to achieve something that I’d been working for all season.”

Robinson entered the Big Ten meet as the fifth seed, and as the competition unfolded and got down to the final few throws, she wasn’t as worried about someone coming from behind to pass her, but more about whether or not she could improve on her third-place standing.

Though it didn’t happen, Robinson was still stoked to be part of the top three, which also means a first-team all-Big Ten recognition. On top of that, she was named one of the Big Ten’s Sportsmanship Award winners after the meet.

“A personal record is a personal record and everyone has those because it’s something you’re progressing toward and something that’s supposed to happen as you get better,” Robinson said. “Finishing top three in the conference, especially the Big Ten, is pretty big, so the medal means more to me than the mark.”

Robinson was also excited to get to share the moment with her parents, Chuck and Bev, who made the 14-hour drive.

“I think (my parents) were more excited than I was,” Robinson joked. “Them being there really meant a lot to me.”

By her own admission, Robinson didn’t have as productive of a sophomore campaign as she had envisioned. So, she spent the offseason re-focusing and it’s paid dividends both during the indoor and now outdoor season.

“Earning a medal just helps to reassure me that everything I am doing is working,” Robinson said. “I am living the right lifestyle, working hard in practice and carrying myself the way a Division I athlete should.”

Except for track and field athletes and baseball players finishing up their seasons, the Penn State campus is basically void of students or distractions since classes have finished for the spring. That’s perfectly OK for Robinson, who is still in State College preparing for the upcoming NCAA postseason.

“This is honestly my favorite time of the season,” Robinson said. “The only thing going on is track, which is what I came here to do. Basically, I just am just getting as much work in as possible to get ready.”

Robinson will compete again next weekend at North Florida University in Jacksonville as part of the NCAA East Regional. The top 12 finishers will earn a trip to the University of Oregon, in Eugene, to compete in the NCAA Nationals.

It didn’t take long for Robinson to respond with her seed for next week.

“I am 11th right now,” Robinson said, matter of factly. “That’s just on paper, though. Everyone coming to that meet starts at zero, so you can’t take anything for granted.”

Personal records and distance goals are out the window during the regional, according to Robinson. It’s simply about place.

“It’s a matter of competing to the best of your ability to get into the top 12,” Robinson said. “Each person only gets three throws, so someone from a lower ranking could have a huge day. It’s going to be a matter of stepping into the circle and knowing and believing I can do it.”

This is the third consecutive season that Robinson has qualified for the regionals. With the seasons she’s had, Robinson wants to put an exclamation point on it.

“Every year I’ve been there, I’ve moved up the rankings from my seed mark,” Robinson said. “I want to be competing in Eugene.”

Ironically, Robinson’s personal best mark – prior to last week’s performance – came at Hayward Field in Eugene on April 9.

Success isn’t only coming for Robinson in the shot put circle. She’s carrying a 3.2 grade point average.

“I think the fact that I’ve been doing so well in the classroom has carried over to the track and vice versa,” Robinson said.

MACHOVINA GOING DANCING

St. Clairsville graduate Jesse Machovina and her Ohio State Buckeye teammates make their NCAA Tournament debut today in the Knoxville Regional as an at-large bid. The Buckeyes will take on perennial power Arizona at 4:30 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. Should the Buckeyes (33-18-1) win, they’ll play on Saturday at noon. If they lose, they’ll play at 2:30 p.m.

Machovina has had a solid season for the Buckeyes, who were eliminated in the Big Ten Tournament by Northwestern in the quarterfinals. Machovina, who has seen time at first base and designated player, primarily, is hitting .312 for the season. She’s hit two home runs and drove in 14 runs.

Joining the Buckeyes, Wildcats and host Tennessee in the regional is Marist.

ALL REGION HONORS

Former Beallsville High standout Hayley Campbell, who now competes for Wheeling Jesuit University, was recognized on the all-Atlantic Region team after her performances this season and at the Mountain East Conference championship.

Campbell was named to the all-region team in the shot put, hammer and discus. She won the shot put at the conference meet and was second in both the disc and hammer.

To qualify for all-region accolades, an athlete must be ranked in the top five of an individual event in the region.

ACC TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Two former Ohio Valley standouts received all-conference accolades during last week’s ACC Championship Meet held at Florida State University.

Steubenville Central grad Teddi Jo Maslowski, who recently collected her diploma from Duke University, finished fourth in the heptathlon, accumulating 5,537 points. Maslowski was the heptathlon champion in the 200 meter dash and long jump. She was second in the high hurdles and 800 meter run. Her weakest event was the high jump. She finished 13th of 14 competitors.

On the men’s side, Cambridge grad Eric Fox, who is a sophomore at Louisville, finished fourth in the conference with 6,979. Fox, who was a two-time state runnerup in the pole vault, was the decathlon pole vault champion at the conference meet. He was second in the high jump and fourth in shot put.

Fox’s lowest place was eighth in the 110 high hurdles.

ELLZY IMPRESSIVE

The season that Harrison Central graduate Katie Ellzy put forth as a true freshman at Robert Morris was impressive in every regard. In earning all-conference honors and leading her team to a decisive elimination game of the Northeast Conference Tournament last week at LIU-Brooklyn. Though the Colonials came up short in the title game and missed out on the NCAA Tournament berth, Ellzy’s work was well documented.

Along with a win against LIU-Brooklyn, Ellzy also posted wins against NCAA qualifiers Florida Atlantic and Minnesota. Taking it a step further, the FAU squad is in the tournament with a 50-7 record and the Golden Gophers defeated Michigan in the Big Ten Championship game.

All told, Ellzy finished her rookie campaign with a 14-14 record and an impressive 2.87 earned run average. She had 108 strikeouts and opposing hitters batted just .227 against her.

NCAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

While the Division I schools are wrapping up their regular seasons, the NCAA Tournaments in Division II and III are underway.

Three former Ohio Valley standouts are part of the ‘Big Dance’ on the diamond.

Monroe Central graduate Kordell Antil is working out of the bullpen for Marietta College in the Division III event. The Pioneers earned the Ohio Athletic Conference’s automatic bid, but lost their opening game to Shenandoah University, 3-2. They were eliminated Emory University, 8-0, on Thursday.

St. Clairsville product Sam Vincenzo will be part of the pitching rotation for New York City-based St. Thomas Aquinas University in the Division II event. Third-seeded Aquinas took on sixth-seeded Molloy in the first round. For the season, Vincenzo finished the regular season with a 3-1 record and 2.47 earned run average.

Indian Creek graduate Alex Young, who is a junior at Grand Valley State University, earned a trip to the Division II tourney. The Lakers captured the GLIAC title last weekend in Xenia. For the season, Young has started 43 games and is hitting .314 with 21 RBIs.