By Senior Correspondent Marty Ogden, Editing and Graphics by Ron Knapp
Track and field is one big community but there are other small sub communities under the overall umbrella known as CT track and field. Distance runners race three seasons and go to camps with each other in the summer. Pole vaulters often train together and push each other to greater heights. But then there are the throwers who are often relegated to competition areas outside the stadium and hang out with each other more than their own teammates. Damian Larkins known as “Big Country” casts a large shadow but also puts the spotlight on his community hosting several ‘throws only’ meets this winter at Bloomfield HIgh and being the head coach of the WarHawks Field Club. Last Friday evening there was a Hall of Fame dinner followed by a weight throw competition with some nationally ranked performance with the shot put taking place on Saturday morning.
Simsbury’s Marshall Potter was honored as a member of the ThrowHawks Hall of Fame and he proved he was worthy of the recognition by winning with a throw of 67’6. He had a rough start to the competition and fouled his first two throws. But showing the maturity of a veteran he made some adjustments on his third throw. “I really slowed down and focused on the finish. For me, as a thrower, the slower I can start the faster I can finish and the more I can finish and the more in control I can be.
View Marshall Potter’s interview with Marty Ogden
Potter made the finals, throwing 63 feet and moved into 2nd place behind Rhode Island’s Owen Allen. But on his 5th throw, he took over the lead, with his 67-6 toss which is less than three feet from his lifetime best. Next up for the UConn committed athlete will be New Balance Nationals in Boston next weekend where he arrives with the 14th best throw in the nation.
Click to view Marshall Potter’s 67-6 throw at the Hall of Fame meet.
Breaking his own school’s record was Bloomfield’s Mason Gray. The junior hit a 5 foot PR reaching a distance of 66-4 on his final throw to take 4th place. That toss moved him into the top 25 nationally and #7 on the CT all time weight throw list.
Junior Payton Sirdine of Bloomfield led from her first attempt, but then hit her PR of 47-0 on her 4th throw. The State Open runner-up in the shot put, extended upon her state leading ranking.
On Saturday morning Potter returned to win the shot put as well with a throw of 57-8. While it is a little…
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