Northwestern sophomore Adam Riedinger uncorked a personal best of 55 feet, 08.5-inches to win the shot put at Graham High School. It completed his weights sweep after winning the discus Thursday with a throw of 163-04.0 feet.
“Yeah, I heard that,” Riedinger said of the crowd reaction. “I really didn’t think it went that far, to be honest. I was surprised. … Yeah, that felt pretty awesome but I didn’t think it was going to be 55 feet.”
Riedinger repeated as shot put champion after throwing 49-04.75 to win district in 2016. He said he felt a little pressure to prove a freshman winning was no fluke. He got no arguments Saturday.
“He can be pretty darn good,” Northwestern coach Brian Stevenson said. “He’s got an incomparable work ethic and drive about him. He’s the product of great parents, great community and great school. … And being 6-4 and 300 pounds helps. He has long arms. But he’s coachable. He soaks in the feedback.”
Riedinger finished ninth in the shot and 10th in the discus at the Lexington Regional meet last season. There he was the only freshman and underclassman competing in the shot and only freshman and one of three underclassmen competing in the discus.
He’ll have company this time. Sophomore Blake Jamison finished fourth in the discus to advance.
“I think I can win it,” Riedinger said of the regional shot competition. “My goal this year was 55. I really didn’t think I could get to 55, to be honest. I just have to trust the process my coaches put me through.”
Also on Saturday at the district meet where the top four placers advanced:
• Kenton Ridge senior Jamari McDavid was in her usual postseason form, winning four individual events. She sprinted to wins in the 100, 200 and 400 and also won the long jump.
• Shawnee’s girls had four second-place finishes with Grace Holmes in the 1,600 run, Rebecca Penrose in the 800, Olivia Warax in the 3,200 run and the 400 relay team. Penrose finished third in the long jump and Jace Mitchem fourth in the pole vault.
• Kenton Ridge’s Cal Phillips won the 100 and finished third in the 200. Teammate Carson Jones was second in the 400.
• Shawnee’s boys scored wins in the 800 relay with Cyres Cooper, Jack McCrory, Robie Glass and Matt Jarzab and the 400 relay with Jarzab, Hayden Lawhorn, Dom Fitch and McCrory. Glass also finished second in the high jump and Cooper third in the 300 hurdles.
• Northeastern’s David Queen won the high jump.
• Northwestern’s Justin Prack finished second in the 1,600 and third in the 800.
• Kenton Ridge’s Graham’s Tyler Powell was third in the 400 and fourth in the 200, and teammate George Bugg was fourth in the 110 hurdles.
• Urbana’s Nick Johnson was third in the 100 and Greenon’s Derek Brown was fourth.
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