Last modified: Saturday, June 6, 2009 2:24 AM EDT Norton's Kelly Allen, the Div. 4 state champ, is the seventh-seeded shot putter in the All-State Meet to go along with being the top seed in the discus. (Staff photo by MARTIN GAVIN) Area throwers among best BY JAMES SCHNEIDER SUN CHRONICLE STAFF It's the most simple, most natural throwing event. Take a heavy ball (weighing 12 pounds for boys, 8.8 for girls) and just throw it as far as you can. There's not much more to it than that. And you'd be hard pressed to find a more accomplished group at the shot put than in Attleboro area and its surrounding towns, an area that has evolved into a shot put hotbed of sorts, as local teams will throw out six top shot-putters on the girls' side and four on the boys' side today at the MIAA All-State Meet at Fitchburg College. Of the top 15-seeded throwers on the girls' side, six are from surrounding area schools while the boys boast three of the top eight seeds. "It's definitely one of the best I've seen in years," Mansfield girls' coach Derek Ellis said. "It definitely raises the athletes in the area, they want to be the best in the area." Which is a tough task this year, thanks in large part to Mansfield's dominance in the event. The Hornets have the third- and fourth-seeded throwers in the girls' event this Saturday in Jess Eason and Kelly McCabe, respectively. While on the boys' side, Dan Glavin was the indoor champion this past winter, uncorking a throw over 60 feet, and will be bringing along teammate Chris Fong, seeded 17th in the event. Part of that can be attributed to Mansfield's former throwing coach, Steve Cameron, the ex-Attleboro High great who went on to star collegiately at Kent State University and then engaged in various collegiate coaching stints. He has made a "big" difference for the Hornets, according to Ellis. Cameron doesn't see the Mansfield throwers as much as he used to, now that he lives in Texas, but he flew up this week to help the athletes get ready for the All-State Meet. "He's definitely a key for our throwers, he's an amazing coach," Ellis said. "He's a technician, he's built a great lifting program for these throwers." Of course, excelling in an event to this extent also relies on a certain amount of natural talent, something Seekonk's Krista Chauvin knows something about. Before this year the junior had never been a part of the Warrior track program, playing basketball in the winter and softball in the spring. But after she started uncorking impressive throws during the winter season, she gave up softball, a sport she excelled at, to throw. The junior has thrown 39 feet, 8 inches so far this season to call the school record her own in her first year and is seeded 13th. "It's very rare, she picks up on things very quickly," Seekonk coach Matt McCartin said. "She's an incredibly hard worker." And add King Philip High's Katie Kelleher as one more of the area's outstanding track-athletes specializing with the shot put. Even with a school record, Chauvin was one-upped by another local at the Division 4 Championships last weekend as Norton's Kelly Allen won the event, throwing a personal-best 38-43/4 and beating her previous best throw by a foot and earning the No. 7 seed. Which seeds her just ahead of Dighton-Rehoboth's Ashley Noons in Saturday's All-State Championship, even if her personal best doesn't compare. Noons, who threw 38-11 last week at the Division 3 Championship, owns a personal best throw of 42-11 that is not only an area best this year but also a D-R school record. "It definitely is a very deep event this year," McCartin said. "There's a lot of good talent around this area, it's a little unusual." Which is not to mention the boys. While Glavin is the winter champ, North Attleboro junior Kevin Peter finally beat his Hockomock League rival last week at the Division 2 Championship meet. Peter uncorked a toss of 54-6, a personal best by three feet to win the event, beating Glavin by a foot. Peter finished behind Glavin at the Hockomock League Championship but with the personal best throw is seeded second in Saturday's event while Glavin sits fifth. Which leaves Don Caouette of Attleboro the unlucky third man looking in. With a throw of 51-91/4 at the Div. 1 Championship meet last weekend and sitting as the eighth seeded thrower, the Bombardier sophomore could conceivably expect to be the highest ranked thrower in the area. But not this year, not with this depth. Along with the shot put, many of that crew is among the state's top discus throwers as well. Allen is No. 1 for girls, followed by Chauvin (No. 3) and Kelleher (No. 18). For the boys, Glavin is fourth with Peter at No. 18. The boys' state record is held by Seekonk and University of Kentucky great, Jeff Chakouian, who uncorked a throw of 67-103/4 in 2000. The MIAA Championship Meet is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.