Willnerd, Sterling commit to Central Missouri

JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Maryville’s Ellie Willnerd speaks to coach Dan McKim at the state championships in Jefferson City on May 23.

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Central Missouri has done well over the years recruiting former Spoofhounds with last year’s roster including Brooklynn Holtman, Jesus Flores and Keaton Stone.

The Mules and Jennies were able to do well again with their efforts in Maryville as they landed a pair of Maryville state-qualifying throwers with Ellie Willnerd and Carson Sterling.

The decision for Willnerd came down to the opportunity to pursue her degree in Kinesiology and compete at the college level.

“The Kinesiology lab is really good and that really pushed me to pick that college,” Willnerd said. “I just figured that I really enjoyed track and field this year, so why not try to go further? … It just all kinda worked out.”

Willnerd is a 3-time state qualifier in the discus with a Class 3 seventh-place medal as a junior — she was 10th as a freshman and senior. Her personal best in the discus came during her senior season with a 35.51-meter throw at the Winnetonka Invitational.

While things fit together nicely for Willnerd in her recruiting process, it got stressful for Sterling who wanted to study psychology and continue his throwing career. On Dec. 17, he had that school picked out as he signed with Missouri Western.

He kept that plan until being hit with shocking news on May 28 as the Griffons announced they were discontinuing track and field. The athletes were provided the news at the same time as the rest of the world got the press release and were put in an increasingly difficult situation with every day that passed as most schools’ high-school recruiting was done.

“It was really stressful,” Sterling said. “I’m glad I have it done. At the end of the season, to hear that when most schools have already done their recruiting and they aren’t willing to take in anyone else, so to find a place that is willing to have me and fits as a group I want to be with, it was really difficult. I knew it had to be done really quick. I was just lucky that I have people that can get the word out there. … It was really stressful trying to navigate that all within two weeks.”

Western ended up back-tracking on its decision and reinstating its program after an outcry from its current athletes and the community regarding the lack of notice for the athletes in limbo. But Sterling was one of the fortunate near-Griffons.

When the program ceased to be for 10 days, Sterling reached out to a school that didn’t recruit him initially, but he knew had a history with the Spoofhounds. Central Missouri quickly became his new home.

“I went on a visit down to UCM a week or so ago, and I got to visit with a coach down there,” Sterling said. “It was a phenomenal time. The coach sounded like he really believed in me and what we can do as a team.”

Sterling has three state medals in the discus and also qualified in the shot put this season. His personal bests are 15.7 meters in the shot put and 47.26 meters in the discus.

“I wanted to minor in Spanish too, but MoWest had cut its foreign language program, so I wasn’t going to be able to do that there,” Sterling said when discussing his academics. “But now I’m going to be able to do that at UCM.”

Sterling has another connection to Maryville in Warrensburg as well. Former Northwest football coach and current Central Missouri defensive coordinator Rich Wright’s wife Sarah Wright helped coach Sterling in the throws during summers.

“It is fun to also have her down there — former coach is going to be able to watch me throw more often which is cool,” Sterling said.

Willnerd is already joking about Sterling coming down to the program with her.

“I’ll probably be a lot more comfortable with Carson on the team too,” Willnerd said. “But you never know — he could be a pain in my butt.”