Ridgefield WA junior breaks meet record, elevates to No. 2 prep all-time with 86-7.50 (26.40m) effort with 25-pound implement; rising Canadian star Shomachuk wins with girls 20-pound weight 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Trey Knight is one of the most high-profile throwers ever to step into a high school ring, but even the Ridgefield WA junior has spent his share of meets competing in remote corners of indoor arenas or outside stadiums at outdoor venues.

On the opening night of the 41st Simplot Games at Idaho State’s Holt Arena, Knight had the opportunity to compete Thursday in the 25-pound weight throw in the middle of the infield and he commanded the spotlight.

Knight, representing Evergreen Storm Track Club, elevated to the No. 2 all-time prep performer with a sixth-round throw of 86 feet, 7.50 inches (26.40m), the best mark by any high school thrower since 2010.

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“One thing about throwing, it’s kind of always out in the corner and not a lot of people watch it,” Knight said. “(Having it on the infield) helps with the adrenaline and getting recognition. Being able to do that and throw that well today means a lot to me and it was really cool to be able to do that in front of a ton of people.”

Knight’s final throw was the No. 8 performance in prep history, with national record holder Conor McCullough of Chaminade CA boasting the top seven marks, all beyond 87 feet.

Knight, who entered the meet as the No. 5 all-time prep performer, broke the 2004 meet record of 82-7.25 (25.17m) set by Mountain View UT standout Leif Arrhenius with his fourth-round throw of 84-1.25 (25.63m).

“The timing kept getting better and I started going faster and by the end, it was all clicking pretty smooth and I was able to pop them out there,” said Knight, who set the national high school record Jan. 12 with the 35-pound weight throw with a mark of 67-11.75 (20.72m) at the Washington Indoor Preview.

“I felt more comfortable (with the 25-pound implement), so I think that was the biggest part. We’ve been working on things in practice and it just felt better.”

That mark also propelled him ahead of Justin Welch of Eastwood OH to become the No. 4 all-time performer.

But Knight was far from done, improving on each of his final five throws after a first-round foul.

On his fifth-round throw, Knight launched the implement 85-0.75 (25.92m), before moving ahead of former New York prep stars Alec Faldermeyer of Minisink Valley and Walter Henning of St. Anthony’s on his final attempt, drawing closer to McCullough’s national junior class record of 87-10.75 (26.79m).

“It’s really cool because those are goals I’ve set that I wanted to pass those guys,” Knight said. “It’s cool for me to be in a position for someone else coming up to want to beat me now. Having that competition with those marks, it’s really cool to think that I’m one of those people now, that I’ve looked up to and wanted to be better than. It’s pretty cool for me personally.”

West Forsyth GA senior Kyle Brown, competing for Throw 1 Deep, placed second with a fourth-round throw of 68-7 (20.90m).

Sophomore Jinaye Shomachuk of Bert Church High in Aries, Alberta, Canada, made her U.S. debut a memorable one, winning the girls 20-pound weight throw with a first-round effort of 52-8.50 (16.06m).

“I’m happy that I had a few that were above 50 feet,” Shomachuk said. “I’m glad that being my first meet outside of Canada, my first time here at Simplot, my first time with throwing the 20-pound, all of it, it’s definitely more than I expected. But I still think I had more in the tank, it just wasn’t how it worked out.”

Shomachuk, representing the Airdrie Aces Athletics Club, is the No. 2 U-18 performer in Canadian history with the 16-pound (7.26kg) weight throw following a Jan. 20 mark of 60-6 (18.46m).

“It’s nice because it forces you to get down lower and put more power into (the 20-pound weight), but it’s a lot harder on your back,” Shomachuk said. “The weight throw is a very hard event because it’s so physically demanding and it will hurt if you don’t know what you’re doing. It took a lot of practice and working out with the 20-pound (implement) just to get everything with my back so I could get the 20-pound to really push out. It’s a lot harder to throw, for sure.”

Valor Christian CO senior Jane Powers produced a personal-best 51-6.50 (15.70m) in the fifth round to place second, with Cosumnes Oaks CA junior Markayla Billings, competing for Golden State Throwers, finishing third at 49-5 (15.06m).

In addition to the weight throw finals, qualifying took place for Saturday’s championship heats in the 60-meter dash, 60 hurdles, 1,600 and 3,200.

Amador Valley CA senior Chinyere Okoro, representing Nor Cal Elite, led all qualifiers in the girls 60-meter dash in 7.64 seconds.

In the boys 60, Emery UT junior Braiden Ivie, competing for Gold Medal Athletics, led all qualifiers in 7.03. Salt Lake City East UT senior William Prettyman, representing Cheetahs Track Club, clocked 7.04 and Ontario Christian CA Nolan Crespo, competing for Academy of Speed, ran 7.07.

In the girls 60 hurdles, Silver Creek CA senior Jazlynn Shearer led all qualifiers in 8.58. Calabasas CA sophomore Bella Witt, who won the California Winter Outdoor Championships title Saturday, ran 8.79.

Merrill West CA senior Warren Williams, representing BEAST Athletics, led all qualifiers in the boys 60 hurdles in 8.29. Williams won the California Winter Outdoor Championships gold medal Saturday.

Bountiful UT teammates Laurie Murphy and Trisha Thompson posted the top qualifying marks in the girls 1,600 and 3,200, respectively.

Murphy clocked 5:03.40, with Mountain View ID junior Lexy Halladay, competing for YMCA Team Idaho, running 5:04.68.

Thompson secured victory in her heat in 11:23.87, with Hellgate MT senior Ember Stratton running 11:26.06 and Peak to Peak CO senior Anna Shults, representing RISE Athletics, clocking 11:29.31.

Borah ID sophomore Nathan Green, representing YMCA Team Idaho, led all qualifiers in the boys 1,600 in 4:24.39, with Star Valley WY senior Asefa Wetzel clocking 4:24.90.

American Fork senior Luke Grundvig ran 9:36.12, leading a trio of Utah athletes running the top qualifying times in the boys 3,200, including Northridge senior Max Wehrli (9:42.0) and Morgan senior Carson Wilkins (9:44.32).