N.J.'s Vena tops his own shot put record
By Christopher Huntpic by
pics by www.wingedfootfotos.com and PennTrackXC.com
He barely smiled on the medal podium. He fidgeted with bottom of his t-shirt, bounced around a bunch – showed the nervous energy of an unassuming 14-year old. Well, as assuming as a 6-4, 260-pound national champion can be.
Morristown freshman Nick Vena (Whippany, N.J.) won his first national championship at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships and broke his own national freshman shot put record, tossing 66 feet, 7 1/4 inches which bettered his previous mark of 66-0 3/4.
“This season has been wonderful,” Vena said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I didn’t think I could throw as far as I have.”
Vena’s second-best throw, 63-9 3/4 on his first attempt, would have won the competition but Vena said he wanted to continue being aggressive and again displayed his remarkable quickness and agility. He threw 61-5 1/2 and 62-10 1/2 in his other two preliminary attempts. After a toe foul in the finals, he unleashed is record-setting heave.He unleashed is record-setting heave on his fifth throw.
“It felt good,” he said. “It came out really nice. … I had no idea when I let it go. I had to wait to see the mark.”
Curtis Beach (Albuquerque Academy) and Daniel Gooris (Cibola) of Albuquerque, N.M. had to do some waiting of their own in the boys pentathlon. They tied in point total, scoring 3,866 points, the best performances in the country this season. Gooris led by 40 points headed into the last of the day’s five events, the 1,000 meters. They figured Beach would have to beat Gooris by four seconds to win. They went 1-2 in the 1,000 and Beach finished 3.58 seconds ahead, which worked out to a tie. The rules dictated that the two be compared head-to-head and the winner of more events would be named national champion. Beach won 3-2.
“It really could have went either way,” said Beach, a junior. “Another inch in the long jump or if one of us throw a little better in the shot put or the do better in the high jump and you win.”
Beach and Gooris have been best friends since grade school when Beach was a cross country runner and Gooris was a high jump who also dabbled in distance running. After they became friends, they discovered the multi-events and have matured into two of the best decathletes in the country last year. Gooris, a senior, is committed to Northern Iowa and is training partners with Beach.
“He’s really one of the best,” Gooris said. “He’s been to all kinds of major competitions. If I was going to lose to anybody it might as well be him.”
The day included mostly sprint trials and semi-finals highlighted by Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.) senior Nadonnia Rodriques finishing the 400 meters as the top qualifier for Sunday’s final in 53.22. D’Angelo Cherry finished the 60-meter semi-final in 6.65. Spencer Adams of Matthews, N.C. finished as the top-qualifier in the 60 hurdles, running 7.73, the sixth-fastest time in United States history. Speed City’s (Long Beach Poly) Eric Vaughn, Ellon Orange, Evant Orange and Joey Hughes produced fastest time in the country this season in the preliminaries of the 4x200 in 1:28.27. Ramapo of Rockland County, N.Y. was the second-fastest qualifier in 1:28.77, the fourth-fastest time in the country.
But the boys and girls 4x1-mile provided the excitement in the relays. Danbury’s Joey Bubniak (4:27.3), Justin Rau (4:25.5), Parker Boudreau (4:17.8) and Willie Ahern (4:17.9) won in 17:28.47, the third-fastest time in U.S. history and a Connecticut state record.
“We were going for the national record,” Ahern said of the Shenendehowa, N.Y.’s record of 17:25.98 set in 2004. “I didn’t want to leave anything out there and walk away.”
Danbury exchanged the lead with Germantown Friends (Philadelphia, Pa.) until Ahern made his move with 1,000 left. Warwick Valley’s Mike Fox started closing on Ahern, using each straightaway to make a surge. He got within 10 meters before Ahern took off and closed the door.
“We didn’t get it (the record),” Ahern said. “But I gave it all I had and I’m sure the other guys gave it all they had as well.”
Warwick finished second in 17:31.49, the seventh-fastest performance all-time and Germantown Friends were third in 17:34.25, the 10th fastest all-time.
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (N.Y.) also took aim at the national record in the girls 4x1 mile. Rachel Cyrus (5:09.9), Molly Pezzulo (5:05.3), Meaghan Gregory (4:58.1) and Sam Roecker (5:00.8) won in 20:14.24, and Armory fieldhouse record. The group built a lead early and spent most of the race reeling in stragglers.
“Our coach told us that we might have to run out by ourselves so we knew we just had to keeping pressing and picking off people,” Pezzulo said.
It was the only time the team has competed in the event this season yet they said the race and an attempt at a national record has been their goal since the start of the season.
“It wasn’t just our effort today,” Roecker said. “It was our effort everyday all season. We wanted this from the beginning and we kept talking about it. If someone was feeling crappy in a workout we would keep saying, ‘Come on, four-by-mile.”
Vanderbilt Catholic senior Rachel Laurent of Houma, La. won the girls pole vault in 13-3 1/2, an NSIC meet record. Maddie Buttinger of Canada won the girls pentathlon with 3,793 points. Ridge High senior Josefine Kvist (Basking Ridge, N.J.) was the first American finisher with 3,508 and North Rockland senior (Thiells, N.Y.) placed third with 3,294.
Reach Christopher Hunt at chunt@armorytrack.com.
pic by www.wingedfootfotos.com
