Photo Credits: For NJ Advance Media Steve Hockstein
In a year’s time, Layla Giordano went from one of N.J.’s promising throwers to one of the best in state history. It’s a leap no one saw coming – except for Old Tappan throwing coach Pete Dunn. Giordano plays volleyball in the fall and Pete’s brother Brian coaches her in basketball in the winter. Dunn knew her athleticism would eventually translate to the circle.
After a then-PR 146-9 in the discus at her first meet of the spring, Dunn sensed an incredible year coming. “She broke the county record at the first meet of the year,” he said. “When you go over video and see what she can physically do in the circle, you can see how gifted she is. I always believed she was capable of doing some special things.” The junior won at nine of her 10 meets with the lone non-gold coming in a sixth-place effort at the Penn Relays. In the last month of the season, Giordano made that 146-9 look minuscule.
She threw a 153-11 at the Bergen County Championships, a 156-3 at the county Meet of Champions, a 157-flat at sectionals, a 155-8 at groups, a 159-7 to win gold at the NJSIAA M of Cs and then a winning PR 170-4 at New Balance Nationals. The 170-4 puts her name third on the N.J. all-time list behind Alyssa Wilson and Jocelyn White.
"Giordano believes she simply needed time to hit her stride in the discus."
“Last year was my first year ever doing discus, so it was a time to learn the positions I needed to be in and how to spin,” she said. “I knew I was going to get a lot better because of my performances towards the end of the season and it showed in the first meet. I was able to pinpoint the errors I needed to work on to get to where I am now.”
In case you didn’t know, Giordano is also one of the state’s best shot putters.She threw over 40 feet seven times after not doing so once as a sophomore. Her PR 45-6 came in a win at the county championships and ranked second in the state. Her other golds came at the Hasbrouck Heights Penn Relay Field Event Qualifier (43-4), county relays (42-7), Big North Championships (44-7), county M of Cs (42-11 ¾), sectionals (40-11) and then at the NJSIAA M of Cs (44-3 ¼). Yes, she swept state titles in the discus and shot put.
“I was really proud of my shot put win that day because I was in a slump for the last month of the season,” she said. “I wasn’t feeling balanced. I love discus more, but I know I still have talent in the shot. I just kept focused in practice to get back to where I was at the beginning of the season. I knew the best girls in the state would be there and I wanted to prove myself as the best shot putter.”
The blessing for Dunn and the rest of the Old Tappan staff is that they have Giordano for one more season. The state record 182-flat thrown by Alyssa Wilson in 2017 is the number they will be looking at in the discus next spring. “That will be something on the horizon,” Dunn said. “She’s a three-sport athlete, so she’s going to be doing other stuff and that’s probably the best thing for her. She won’t be sitting around all year thinking about it. The goal when the season starts next year is going to be to get her back to where she left this year. The sky is the limit for this kid.”
Giordano has volleyball and basketball to keep her occupied, but it’s going to be difficult to keep her mind off track. It’s her sport now. “I love the atmosphere that volleyball and basketball bring,” Giordano said. “I love the team aspect. But after my personal success this season, track is above the rest.”
Ryan Patti | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
