Newton Falls’ Palo wins D-III discus

June 7, 2014 at 12:09a.m.

COLUMBUS

As Newton Falls junior Bucyrus Palo looked around at his competition for Friday’s Division III discus title, he saw McDonald’s Christian Smith (“I honestly thought he was gonna win”), Maplewood senior Stephen Pop (who was third in the state in this event last year) and Ursuline sophomore Jonathan Neeley (who beat him at last week’s regional meet, as did Smith).

And that was just the guys he knew.

“I had all that going through my head,” he said. “I had to stop thinking.”

He did a lot better once he started throwing. His first throw went 166 feet, 11 inches — more than three feet better than his best throw at regionals — and ended up as the third-longest throw of the competition.

Fortunately for him, he also had the best one (176-0), as well as the second-best (168-0) and, for good measure, the fourth-best (165-11).

“Oh, my gosh,” he said. “I’m so happy.”

Palo’s best throw of the season was 169-10 and as he approached his last throw, all he wanted to do was break 170.

“If I didn’t hit that, even if I won state, I was going to be really mad,” he said. “I just gave it my all.

“That was most focused I’ve ever been at any meet.”

Lehman Catholic senior Brad Montgomery placed second at 164, while Pop was fourth (160-10), Neeley fifth (157-3) and Smith 15th. Smith’s first throw would have been more than 180 feet but it landed three feet right of sector. He fouled his second throw (it would have topped 170) and shortened up his technique on his third throw, just hoping to get one of the nine spots for the finals, but it only went 134-5. Smith threw 178-9 at the regional.

“I feel really bad for him,” Palo said of Smith. “I really wish him the best of luck next year.”