Sierra Lutheran's Grant Goins explodes out of the blocks during the Div. IV 100-meter sprint Saturday.
Carson High’s Ian Schulz and Dayton’s Zach Hawley ended their high school careers in impressive fashion.
Schulz, coming off a second-place finish in the discus on Friday, PRd with a throw of 59-2 to win the Division I shot put title on Saturday, and Hawley, coming off a third-place finish in the discus on Friday, set a 1A state-meet shot put record with a throw of 60-1.
Also winning state titles were Dayton’s J.J. Ply (pole vault, 13-0) and Sierra Lutheran’s duo of Jared Marchegger (3200, 10:35.81) and Cameron Drudge (800, 2:03.99).
The big news, however, were the performances of Schulz and Hawley, who have dominated the weight events the entire season.
“To put on the blue and white for the last time and win a championship is great,” Schulz said. “The discus kind of surprised me because I hadn’t thrown that well. I’d been throwing the shot real well.”
Schulz’s performance had throws coach Mike Louisiana choked up, and with good reason.
“Ian is my first state champ at Carson,” Louisiana said, accepting congratulations from several coaches. “It’s my 31st overall, but first here.
“He was ready for it. The last couple of weeks he’s been around 59-60 in practice. I was hoping he’d get the school record (60-5), but we’re going to Golden West, and we’ll go after the big throw there. He had a great week and great year.”
Schulz won the competition on his first throw. Among his six throws, he had a 52-4 and a 57-0 plus three fouls.
“It (the 59-2) felt good the whole way,” Schulz said. “I was relaxed as I moved through the ring and came over the top. I wasn’t rushing.”
Louisiana felt playing basketball put Schulz behind a bit entering the season, especially since Carson ended up in the state tournament.
“Basketball got in the way,” Louisiana said. “The 12 weeks he played basketball he was behind (in preparation).”
“It may have a little bit, but the basketball coach (Carlos Mendeguia) said if you can play three sports and compete at a high level you should play three sports.”
Schulz, who was bothered by injuries most of his football season, doesn’t regret his choices. He played on two regional title teams and won a state title. Not a bad way to end his career.
Hawley avenged his loss in the discus, beating Boulder City’s Sam Gomez by more than six feet. He and Gomez are both going to Cornell and may room together. Gomez threw 53-10 1/4.
“A heck of a way to go out,” said Hawley, a big smile on his face. “I knew it was going to be (at least) 59 when I let it go. I had a 62 that I scratched on that felt really good. I knew I was on it today.”
Ply, who broke two poles during the season, hopes this is a sign of things to come.
“My best this year is 14-6, but this is the best I’ve jumped since I broke those two poles,” Ply said. “I had one good jump at 13-6, but the other two weren’t close.”
Ply also ran the 300 hurdles and was seventh in 42.01.
Carson’s Asa Carter ended his illustrious career with a second-place finish in the triple jump.
Carter, who fouled on his first two attempts, put up a mark of 46-9 3/4, well off his season best of 48-3. Silverado’s Matthew Arnold had a jump of 47-7 1/4, and then took over the top spot in the state from Carter with a mark of 48-4 1/4.
“I didn’t jump well,” Carter said. “After the third jump I was relaxed. I’m Ok with second.”
“I think there were some nerves today,” CHS head and jumps coach Robert Maw said. “He didn’t seem to have that pop; that confidence he normally has. I’m proud of him. He had a great four years here.”
Carter also ran a leg on Carson’s 1600-meter relay team along with Hector Gomez-Barios, Brandon Basa and Ian Van Rensselaer. The quartet was sixth in 3:25.09, a season-best time.
Sierra Lutheran’s Bret Walker (shot put, 42-9 1/4), Steven Flanagan (pole vault, 10-6), Rick McNeely (3200, 10:43.33) and the Falcons’ 400-meter relay group also finished second.
There were two stadium records set on Saturday. The McQueen boys ran a 3:16.67 to win the 1600 relay and Centennial’s Savon Scarver set a stadium mark with a 37.83 in the 300 hurdles.