Wagner's career takes off at Grant

For the first time in her life, Bailey Wagner plans to throw a javelin outdoors today.

Advice for those at the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Senior Spotlight Track and Field Meet: Stand back.

Wagner, after all, has shown she's a quick learner when it comes to heaving objects around a track.

She and fellow recent Grant graduate Tori Ziegler are representing Team Illinois today at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. The two IHSA state medalists will be throwing -- of course -- the shot and discus, as well as the javelin.

Wagner has winged the javelin before, but indoors at camps, and it was a Nerf-like spear so no one could be accidentally pierced.

"We'll see how we do," Wagner said. "But it's going to be up in the air."

Ever since Grant coach Jim Cramer recruited his Freshman B basketball player to go out for his varsity track and field team, there's been no question about Wagner's athletic ability.

After capping her senior year by winning her third Class AA state championship in track and field in as many springs, Wagner is the Daily Herald's female athlete of the year.

She also played volleyball and basketball, starting for both teams for the second straight year. She was named all-area honorable mention in volleyball, and in basketball she earned all-conference and all-area honorable mention accolades in helping lead Grant to a 25-5 record.

"I thought I saw some good potential for her (in track and field)," Cramer said.

He made an astute observation, one that led to Wagner earning a scholarship to Georgia Tech University.

Instead of going out for softball as a freshman, Wagner took Cramer up on his offer.

"He said I had a lot of strength and explosive technique," said the 6-foot-1 Wagner. "I had played softball my whole life and planned to play softball throughout high school."

The former first baseman was a natural at throwing the shot and discus. And with what Cramer called a "tenacity" to do well, Wagner wowed.

She was registering state-qualifying distances as a freshman but was behind Danielle Eiler and Cora Caulfield on the depth chart. Which was understandable considering Eiler earned a scholarship to East Carolina that year and Caulfield accepted a ride from Northern Illinois the following year.

Her sophomore year, Wagner won her first state championship, capturing the shot put and earning a third-place medal in the discus. She successfully defended her title in the shot put her junior year, while finishing runner-up in the discus.

She came up short in her quest for a "three-peat" in the shot put, despite a state record-breaking heave on Friday downstate. She did claim state glory in the discus, tossing it a state-record 157-8 on her final throw Friday.

Daniella Bunch of Mahomet-Seymour won the shot put, breaking the state mark three times over the two days in Charleston.

Despite Bunch's great bunch of throws, Cramer believes Wagner's greatness is unmatched.

"She's probably the best girl thrower in the state of Illinois' history," Cramer said.

And, Cramer adds, Wagner hasn't peaked. She can get physically stronger.

"When she gains some strength, she'll throw a lot farther," Cramer said.

"Her upside is huge."

And all this promise because, after nine years of playing softball, she decided she'd instead rather toss metal objects.

"I'm just thankful that I chose track and not softball," Wagner said. "Not that I would have been a bad softball player. But I didn't know the option of track was there.

"I couldn't have asked for a better four years."