Crestview’s Perry has Ohio’s top shot put mark of 2019

April 11, 2019 at 12:00a.m.

Crestview senior has

Ohio’s top mark in ’19

Dominic Perry stretched, drank some coffee and made the best throw in the state.

On Tuesday during a track meet at Newton Falls, the Crestview shot putter threw 62 feet, 2 inches. It’s the best throw in Ohio High school track so far this season regardless of division. Perry said everything except the result was routine when it came to the record setting throw.

“I was waiting to [get a personal record]. I’ve been pretty consistent with my numbers,” Perry said. “I was expecting to improve my PR by a foot and then I do it by three feet. It was pretty awesome.”

It’s the first time Perry has reached 60 feet in a competitive setting and Tuesday’s throw makes him one of two throwers in Ohio to have done so this year, according to athletic.net. Bellaire’s Cole LaRoche is the other one to have gone 60-plus at 61-2.

Nationally, Perry is No. 13 in the shot put. After winning the D-III state shot put title last year, the senior Youngstown State commit is looking for new mountains to climb.

“He’s been trying to be the best in Ohio regardless of division. He wanted to beat the D-I kids, the D-II kids and obviously D-III,” Crestview coach Greg Woolman said. “He’s been checking [the state and national rankings]. I’ve been checking it to see where he’s at. He’s pretty pumped about it and he really wanted to be top 20 nationally.

“He wants to be the best of the best and every day, he’s working to get better.”

Perry’s toughest challenge for repeating as state champ may be in his own back yard. On athletic.net, Western Reserve brothers Matt and Ryan Henry join Perry in the top 10. Matt, a senior, has a PR of 54-1 to put him at No. 7. Ryan hit a season-best 52-9 as a freshman to sit at No. 10. Plug those numbers into last year’s tournament and they would be third and fourth, respectively. All three competitors will face off in the district meet May 15 at Springfield.

“Obviously, I think about state, but now it’s bigger than Ohio,” Perry said. “I want to be the best that I can be, but not only in this state, I want compete with throwers in other states.”