Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - McKinney smashes discus record at IV-2A meet

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Saturday, April 29, 2000

McKinney smashes discus record at IV-2A meet
Refugio junior's throw beats old regional mark by 10 feet
By George Vondracek

Caller-Times
SAN MARCOS - The activity was plenty and scattered about the confines of Bobcat Stadium on the Southwest Texas State University campus.
   The preferred site for the action, however, was at the discus ring, where Refugio High School's Matt McKinney made a stunning return to the 190-foot range on a warm Friday afternoon.
   The junior, the defending Region IV and state 2A champion, crushed his year-old record in the discus by 10 feet, with a 197-foot, 7-inch heave on the opening day of the Region IV-2A meet.
   The crowd of about 150 grew silent around the ring every time McKinney stepped into the circle:

His first fling of 185-5 bested the other 15 in the preliminaries by 40 feet or more.

The second, 188-10 into a slight crosswind, clipped his old record by an inch.

The third smashed it and left the rest of the field vying for second place, which ended up 39 feet shy of McKinney.
   "I was really hoping to get a big one," said McKinney, who will try to duplicate his feat in today's shot put. "Ninety-seven's not too shabby."
   Not at all. It was just the second time McKinney had reached the 190-foot level; he threw 199 at a meet in Port Lavaca earlier this season, the 10th-best effort on record in the state. McKinney closed his throws on Friday with tosses of 187 and 187-4 before scratching on a 195-footer.
   "It was a good series," said Rick Keese, Refugio's shot and discus coach. "That was a big goal, even though he scratched on the last one. I was kind of surprised he threw that far because of the conditions. It's not really the ideal weather we like to have."
   Still, McKinney said he has been pleased with his progress, namely using more lower-body power and not rushing to his release point. He is pleased to the point where he said hitting the 200-foot barrier isn't unthinkable.
   "The things we've been working on, when they start clicking, you can feel it," McKinney said. "It's not something you can see in the distance. It's the feel."
   Other area success
   McKinney wasn't the only area athlete to grab gold on Friday. Sophomore teammate Brianna Lewis won the girls' long jump with a leap of 17-6½, a personal best. Freer's Kasey Cash claimed the girls' discus with a 132-5 throw.
   Center Point's Randy Flach set a record in the pole vault, besting a 5-year-old mark with a 16-2 effort, eight inches better than his previous best. Coupled with teammate Austin Allen's second-place finish, Center Point led the boys team standings with 20 points.
   Refugio's girls lead the team standings with 19 points and the Lady Bobcats have nine other chances for points today, including two of the three relays, which are worth 20 points apiece.
   "I really think we're going to win it. I really do," Lewis said. "I talk about it every day. I try to put it in my teammates' heads." Lewis also qualified for the 200-meter final.
   "We have a really good team. We're really close and that helps a lot," said Refugio's Jamye Ganceras, second to Cash in the discus. "I think we have a really good chance. We're going to have to work hard in the field events and have good handoffs in the relays."
   Cash's win in the discus gave the Lady Buckaroos their only points of the day. The winning toss came on her first throw, though it was off of her season best of 139-6.
   "I was expecting to do a little better," Cash said. "It was mainly my technique. I wasn't concentrating on what I was doing. But I was just hoping to make the finals."
   Port Aransas' Lauren Williams was another area runner to reach today's final. She was one of four area athletes to record the fastest qualifying time in their respective events. Williams enters today's 800 final with a qualifying time of 2 minutes, 20.46 seconds.
   "I'm so used to running in the wind in Port Aransas and it's so hot, it just makes it easier," said Williams, whose previous best in the 800 (2:21) came last season in an AAU meet in Cleveland. "This (qualifying) was really the hardest part for me. Getting it out of the way proved that I could do it."
   Boys team title
   Though Center Point leads the boys standings, it has but two chances to score points in today's finals. Dilley finished 1-2 in the 3,200 for 18 points, but has no entries today.
   That leaves Coleman (2 points, nine entries, one relay), Troy (no points, 11 entries, two relays), Tidehaven (12 points, eight entries, two relays), Refugio (14 points, seven entries, two relays) and defending champion Woodsboro (8 points, seven entries, two relays) to battle for the regional title.
   The Eagles had the fastest time in the 1,600 relay (3:21.11). Refugio's 400 relay had the best qualifying time of 41.95, just .05 off the region record. The Bobcats' Alex Boyd (10.98 in the 100) and Jamar Green (39.26 in the 300 hurdles) topped Friday's qualifying. Woodsboro's Marcus Thomas was second to Boyd in the 100 at 11.04 and Rayburn Anderson, the anchor to Woodsboro's relays, was a close second in 400 qualifying at 48.22.
   Then there is McKinney, in the shot put.
   Of the other 16 competitors, McKinney had the best effort at district, 60-5½. That is nearly five feet better than the next-best effort of 55-9½ by Skidmore-Tynan's Thomas Carriger. Only three others have surpassed 50 feet.
   "We've got a shot at it," said McKinney, whose best shot put this season has been 63-5. "But we're not all that interested in winning this one. We want to get to the big dance."



Staff writer George Vondracek can be reached at 886-3731 or by e-mail at vondracekg@caller.com

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