LP_031518

46 | March 15, 2018 | The Lockport Legend SPORTS
lockportlegend.com
Porters track and field uses home triangular to measure progress
Well-rounded group
knows it can excel
across the board
Randy Whalen
Freelance Reporter
It should be a special season
for the Lockport Township
boys track and field
team.
Sure, John Meyer will
headline the Porters as he
attempts to become the firstever
athlete to three-peat as
state champion in the shot
put. The senior will also look
to better his second-place finish
in the discus throw and
capture both throwing events.
But Meyer is not alone,
as there’s quite a few events
that the Porters should excel
in this spring.
“We have big plans,”
Lockport junior Ray Holland
said. “We’re training
for and expecting big things
from a lot of events.”
But no one is expecting
bigger things than Meyer.
That was evident on Saturday,
March 10, when Lockport
hosted its own indoor
triangular invite. Andrew
and Joliet Central were also
there. The Porters easily won
the open entry event, which
was designed to let some
other athletes participate.
There were still top people
participating, however.
Headlining them was Meyer,
who had bettered his personal
best in the shot put the
previous two meets. He had
a 68-foot, 4-inch throw on
Feb. 24 at the Olivet Nazarene
Invite, and then bettered
it to 68-foot, 6-inch toss on
March 2 at the Homewood-
Flossmoor Invite. So, with
family and friends looking
on at the last home indoor
meet, many hoped Meyer
would do it again.
Instead, he settled for a
best of 67 feet, 8 inches. But
Brendan Diamond runs in the 3,200 meter race.
three of his throws were over
67 feet.
“I’m feeling ready, and
I’ve never been more consistent,”
Meyer said. “I broke
my record [at the H-F meet],
and [last Saturday], I threw
three times over 67. That’s
not the record I’m looking
for, but the consistency was
there.”
To put a trio of 67-footplus
throws in perspective,
his state title throw last season
was 65 feet, 10 inches.
In last Saturday’s invite, the
Porters had the Top 4 performers.
But Joe Edwards
(45 feet), Alek Trafton (44
feet, 7 inches) and Christopher
Greenfield (43 feet, 8
inches) were all 20-plus feet
less than Meyer.
“John is one of those athletes
that is one-in-a-lifetime,”
Lockport coach Tom
Razo said. “He’s No. 1 or
No. 2 in the nation [in shot
put]. You just have to enjoy
him; he’s just great. Even
to put up 67 feet [last Saturday],
that’s a crazy number.
He’s aiming for 70 feet. It’s
going to happen. It’s just a
matter of when.”
Lockport throwing coach
Wally Shields agreed.
“I thought he could get
to 70 feet [last Saturday],”
Michael Thompson lands his attempt at the long jump Saturday, March 10, during a meet at
Lockport Township High School East Campus. PHOTOS BY Adam Jomant/22nd Century Media
Shields said. “But he was
very consistent, and I
thought it was a good meet
for him. His power levels
are definitely up, and he’s
matured a lot this year. He
doesn’t let a bad throw affect
him. He’s 30 pounds heavier
than last year and a lot stronger.
“Plus, he’s never missed
a workout, and that includes
optional workouts. He leads
by example, but he’s like,
‘Let’s have fun and throw
far.’”
That’s served Meyer well,
as he’s seen the results.
“I just have to work hard,
and [70 feet] is coming,”
Meyer said. “I just have to
work on the little things to get
there. I’ve been getting a little
bit too high on my throws.
I’m trying to flatten that trajectory
out and have to bend
my back different to reach
out and go forward more.
“I just have to stay nice and
easy, stay with a level head.
I’m training well, eating right
and getting enough sleep.
I’m just looking forward to
seeing what the season holds.
It’s going to be awesome.
There’s going to be more of
the team competing at state.”
Someone else who certainly
expects to be in the running
on the final day at state
this season is senior Conor
McCarthy. He’s ranked in the
Top 10 in both the long jump
and triple jump. At last Saturday’s
meet, he easily won
both events. In the long jump,
he had a distance of 22 feet,
2.5 inches to beat out teammates
Tyron Barlow (2nd;
19 feet, 7 inches) and Omari
Seaberry (3rd; 19 feet, 5.5
inches). In the triple jump,
McCarthy won with a distance
of 42 feet, 6 inches, and
Barlow (37 feet, 9 inches)
was third.
“I know we’re going to
have a good team,” said Mc-
Carthy, who also will run on
the 800- and the 1,600-meter
relay teams. “Me and some
of the other sprint guys were
working out and training by
joining the cross country
team last fall and have got
better.”
McCarthy rolled his ankle
before last year’s state meet
and didn’t qualify for the final
day. That’s only driven
him even more.
“My performance at state
wasn’t up to my expectations,”
he said. “So, I worked
hard in the offseason. I didn’t
even start in track and field
until I was a sophomore. I
just wanted to get in shape,
that’s why I came out. Now,
I’m ranked No. 4 in Class
3A in the long jump. I think
I have a good chance to win
it. This is the best team since
I’ve been here, and we have a
good shot at a Top 10 finish.”
Two years ago, Lockport
had its highest-ever state
placement, a sixth-place finish
with 30 points. A lot of
those points came from Derrius
Rodgers, who placed
second in both the 100- and
200-meter dash. He also
helped the Porters to a sixthplace
finish in the 800-meter
relay.
The Porters believe this
spring’s relay teams, especially
the 800 and 1,600, will
also be good. But they didn’t
field a team in those events at
the invite and ran an off team
in the 3,200 relay.
Coming off helping Lockport
to a Class 3A cross
country state berth last fall,
senior Cade Musich won the
distance events. He captured
the 1,600-meter run by nearly
14 seconds with a time of
4:45.67. In the 3,200-meter
run, his time of 10:07.64
beat out second-place sophomore
teammate Aidan Pajeau
(10:30.16) by nearly 22
seconds.
Also winning events for
the Porters were Marc Schelli
(2:10.35) in the 800-meter
run, where Pajeau (2:15.05)
was second, and Russell
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