TURNER — Nobody’s sure what persuaded Bri DeGone to pick up and throw the javelin for the first time, but the safe bet is that it was because she had tried everything else.

Sprints? Check.

Hurdles? Been there, done that, got the road rash.

Jumps? Hello, we’re talking about the girl who scored the game-winning goal in a state championship field hockey game and goes all-out, all the time in basketball, as well. Sudden stops and coordinated movement aren’t a problem.

“Why not?” rapidly accelerated into “How far?” and “What next?” From green rookie to championship threat in little more than a calendar year, DeGone, a junior, leads Leavitt into Saturday’s Class B championship meet at Morse High School in Bath.

“I think it’s more like technique than a strength thing. I felt like I learned the technique fast, and it worked,” said DeGone, whose personal record throw of 102 feet, six inches was ranked as high as No. 2 in Class B this spring.

She’ll be seeded fifth at the state competition after not even achieving the automatic qualifying distance in the event as a sophomore.

DeGone isn’t the only one learning on the fly. Her mom and co-coach, Cheryl (maiden name Chicoine), was primarily a hurdler in the early 1980s at Jay High School. And Leavitt’s throwing coach, Jamie Juntura, never competed in track until taking his post with the Hornets.

“Bri DeGone makes me learn something every day,” Juntura said. “If I don’t, I’ll get left behind.”

Both student and teacher frequent YouTube and other internet sites where track aficionados promote how-to videos.

DeGone gravitated to track as a way to keep in shape for her primary passion, field hockey. Her times were adequate, but not blistering, and her competitive side wondered how her skills might translate to an event that equally rewards quickness and power.

Her first-ever javelin throw sailed an eye-opening 88 feet.

“Last year was more about my speed. Running up in the lane was a big piece, so (Juntura) would have me sprint and then throw it,” DeGone said. “This year I’ve been focusing more on the crossover and the technique.”

DeGone broke the 100-foot barrier two weeks ago, immediately after running — and falling across the finish line — in a hurdles race.

Mother laughs and daughter’s eyes roll ever-so-slightly when the two talk about Bri’s track exploits prior to the javelin.

“The hurdles were my favorite event when I competed. But when she does the hurdles, I tend to follow her around the track, and last week she asked me to stop doing that,” Cheryl DeGone said. “Of course I’m a little more winded than she is when we get done. She’s definitely a better athlete than I ever was. I don’t have to coach her, and I like that a lot better. To see her ranked in first place (prior to) KVACs, that’s a pretty proud moment for a mother.”

DeGone finished second at Monday’s conference competition, up three spots from a year ago but a little more than a foot behind her personal best.

Having the pressure of a top seed on her shoulders was a marked change for DeGone, who usually has been the one zeroing in on her more experienced competition. Juntura expects that the runner-up KVAC finish will bring out his protege’s competitive side.

“She hates to lose. That pushes her to focus harder on every step that she takes,” he said. “The amount of effort she’s willing to put in is immense, because she feels success every time she climbs the ladder a little bit. And anytime anyone gets close, it lights the fire. She’s ready to fight.”

For every athlete who wins three or four events at a track meet, you’ll find another who fought feverishly to find her specialty.

DeGone has set aside those lung-burning speed workouts. Lean and compact, she doesn’t fit the mold of a shot put or discus thrower, either.

“Last year I tried shot put, but that one’s definitely more like strength and muscle, and I didn’t do too good,” DeGone said. “Javelin you’re trying to get speed, and then you’re trying to convert that speed to your throw. I was better at that than just finding strength to throw the shot put.”

Still a relative newcomer to the event, DeGone’s inexperience gives her a higher ceiling than the average javelin thrower.

Even if Saturday doesn’t bring a state title, wait ’til next year.

“She’s had her hand in every event, and surprisingly enough she found her niche in one of the most technical. You have to have a controlled stride. You have to have a powerful throw. A superb core,” Juntura said. “That’s Bri. She’s found something that she can be successful at, and she wants to ride it to the top.”