Throwers from Bloomington area schools put on a clinic at Edgewood track invitational

ELLETTSVILLE — Chris Davis is running out of room.

Or rather, Edgewood's shot put pit is. Davis is just a sophomore, but he's already hit the 50-foot mark in his best event this season, leaving less than two feet of gravel between the divot his implement is leaving and the wood rail on the far side.

"We're going to have to redo that," Edgewood coach Zach Evans said.

Davis' toss of 50-4 won the boys' shot put title on a warm and breezy Saturday afternoon at the Edgewood Invitational. The annual gathering that features Bloomington North, South and the Mustangs, was loaded in the throws department again this year.

Sophomore Hadley Lucas of North swept the girls events with a career best shot put of 47-2 to top the field by seven feet, and won discus by just nine inches with a 147-11½, only her second best on the year.

Edgewood's Trista Helms, South's Maya Anderson-Corns and North's Annie Galindo are putting up strong numbers as well.

North senior Marcus Wynalda didn't have a mark in the boys discus, but he's been as far as 162-3 and 49-6 in shot. His younger brother, Max, a sophomore and a brand new thrower with just 11 practices, put together an impressive series, topping out at 45-6 for third in the boys' shot.

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South sophomore Ivan Lynch has grown a bunch since last year and is starting to soar in discus while senior David Nussbaum and sophomore Ethan Barnes are excelling in shot put.

"We've been highly competitive on the state theater for quite some time," said North coach Sara Hamidovic, who has been a part of it as an athlete and coach. "Today's a great example. We've got two girls close (Lucas and Noblesville's Hannah Alexander) to 150. Those are the two best throwers in the state and they were fighting it out up there."

Chasing greatness

Breaking a school record in the throws at North, South and Edgewood is a difficult task.

They were set by such standouts as Stacy Martin (50-6½, 169-5) and Cory Martin (63-1, 184-3) at Edgewood, Amanda Horvath (44-8) and Micaela Hull (142-11) and Gabe Hull (63-0, 203-0) at South and three-time discus champ Rachel Deloney (47-3½), Fields and Onyi Afoaku (62-1, 190-5) at North.

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"It's huge because it tells the kids now, that that's what's possible," Hamidovic said. "And its that way on both boys and girls sides at our school."

No. 2 and trying harder

Davis has now passed his coach, Patrick Mosby, for second place all time at Edgewood. Good company. Just one legendary name to go.

"I'm working for it," said Davis, who also throws discus, but shot is his favorite.

"His upper body is not strong enough," Mosby reminded him. "We have much more to go. We're trying to break the record (63-1). That's the goal.

"He has really strong legs. He's got great movement, or separation of his upper and lower body. And he's got good understanding of position."

Davis, who also started on the line in football last season, got off to a head start in the throwing arena. His father became the junior high throws coach after the family moved in from Illinois.

"I'd be that little kid just come to practice and start playing around," Davis said. "But it started there. Came here in sixth grade and started really rolling."

Nussbaum, Barnes and Lynch are quickly putting themselves in position to make a long postseason run. Nussbaum, bound for Wheaton to play football, threw in middle school but switched to baseball before South head coach Larry Williams convinced him to give throws a try.

"It's really fun, because South obviously has a really good history," Nussbaum said, "And we also against Columbus North a lot (Tucker Smith is one of the nation's best) and it raises my standards a lot and makes me be better.

"And I'm being coached harder now since the expectations have increased."

Lynch, who works with former North throwing standout Wil Fleming, is the No. 3 sophomore in the state in discus (142-3).

"He's gained like 60 pounds of muscle," Nussbaum said. "He's a big dude now. And he knows what he's doing."

Ready to make history

The launch angle of Hadley's career path is a steep one right now. She currently owns the best throws in the state but still short of North's school records.

She's within 1½ inches in the shot put. Her best is 154-3 in the discus, so she's ready for the next milestone (160), with the school record not far beyond that.

"I really want those records," Lucas said. "Since I've started throwing with Wayne Nichols when I was like 9, I've been hearing about those records my whole life."

And the whole time, she's been doing everything to make sure someone else down the line has to her about her records.

"That's what's special about Hadley is that she is the total package," Hamidovic said. "She's got the right build. She's got the right mindset. She's intelligent enough to understand the physics of it.

"And that is so, so very rare."

And she puts in the work to back it up, every day, all year round.

"My technique has improved," Lucas said. "I really think my mindset, it's always been pretty good, but over the summer, I just had my mindset I was going to beat those records this year, so my goals I set bigger."

Helms, a standout in volleyball and basketball, nailed a career best shot put Saturday of 38-1 for third. She hit 112 in discus last year at regional.

"Colleges are looking at her," Mosby said. "Being a multi-sport athlete, she's able to bring a lot of her athleticism."

Anderson-Corns is mimicking the rare golfer-thrower combination of former school record holder Amy McDonald in the late 1980s.

"Very consistent," South throws coach Jacob Canada said. "In either sport, it's just her dedication and pushing herself. Anything extra, shes usually doing."

North goes 1-2

Several important athletes were not competing for a variety of reasons, from prom and other extra-curriculars to injuries and a distance showcase at Carmel on Friday.

Still, North had no problems winning the boys' title with 127 points to 100 for Castle. South was fourth (79) and Edgewood sixth (70). North coach Justin Helmer pointed to the big day from Jallah Barbu, who posted to PRs in the 110 hurdles (third in 16.49) and 300 hurdles (second in 42.19), went 20-0 in the long jump for third and helped the 1,600 relay take second.

The Cougar girls were second to Noblesville 151-129, with Castle third (69), followed by Edgewood (67½) and South (67).

Season bests

A number of area athletes had career best days in the 80-degree heat.

Edgewood senior Zack Raake flew to an 11.06 to win the 100 and came on strong in the last 50 meters to take the 200 in 22.93, both career lows after going 11.25 and 23.17 last year.

"Up to this point, more running 400s to build strength," Edgewood coach Zach Evans said. "And so whole plan was run him longer early in the season and then let him cut down on the distance as we moved along.

"So today was a test to see, can he do prelims and finals in both, or should he do 400? I think we got an answer today."

South's D'Andre Black stepped through the 110 hurdles finals in a lifetime best 14.78 and followed with another PR of 41.11 to win the 300s.

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Panther Murry Ross-Harman clocked a 50.54 to win the 400, not too far off his career mark of 49.94 at state last year, and brought South from third to first in the 1,600 relay (3:31.88).

South's Sawyer Bailey also tied his career best with a 13-6 for second in the boys' pole vault.

Edgewood's Ella Hayden broke 13 for the first time in the girls' 100, going 12.89 for second and not far off the school record of 12.54 tied in 2012 by Olivia Ashba.

Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com and follow on Twitter @JimGordillo.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Monroe County throwers put forth best effort at Edgewood Invitational