PROSPERITY — Blake Arnoult, Mid-Carolina High School junior, won the State Championship in shot put this past weekend at Spring Valley High School in Columbia.
For those who do not know, shot put is a track and field event involving “putting” (you are pushing it rather than throwing it) a heavy spherical object (a shot) as far as possible. Arnoult said this is a 12 pound steel ball — a shot — and you have to stay inside of the ring when you throw it.
At the State Championship, Arnoult made it 49 feet and half an inch, not only winning the State Championship, but completing a personal best. His closest competitor was at 48 feet and nine inches.
Prior to State, Arnoult, who is 16, said he had a pretty good season. He said he finished in the top three in every meet the team went to, except one. During the season, he said he was throwing around 43-44 feet the whole year, up until the end.
“Then we got to the Regional Championship, and that is when I started throwing it further and further,” he said.
The Regional Championship was when Arnoult made a personal best — prior to Upper State and State — at 45 feet and 10 inches. When he went to Upper State, he said he improved yet again, tying for third place with 46 feet and seven inches.
“Going into the State Meet, my very first throw was 49 feet and half an inch,” he said. “I think it kinda shocked a couple of the other throwers.”
Once the other competitors finished, and Arnoult knew for sure he won, he said it did not even feel like he had won.
“Just because if you told me I was going to win State four weeks ago I wouldn’t have believed you because I was only throwing 43-44 feet,” he said.
However, once he realized he won, he said he was happy.
While at State, Arnoult defeated the competitors he previously fell to at Upper State. He said the competitor who he tied with ended at third, the person who got second finished eighth and the person who was first came in fourth.
Arnoult has been involved in track and field since the seventh grade, and he also throws discus. To help prepare for State, he said what helped was being in the weight room — where he said he lifts a lot — and working on technique.
“You gotta stay low throughout the whole throw, and the ball has to stay close to your neck. You are not throwing it like a softball or baseball, you are kinda pushing it out there,” he said. “It (the shot) is a good bit heavy, especially because of the way you are throwing it.”
Arnoult said he also plays football, which he said helped him because it gave him more time to be in the weight room over the summer and school year. Next year, Arnoult’s goal is to win State again and the Region for his senior year.
“I’m in a fortunate position being the athletic director at the school my son represents. I am proud of his achievements as an athletic director and as his dad. It was a great experience for his mother and I to watch him compete with the best throwers in AAA and win,” said Chris Arnoult, MCHS athletic director and father of Blake Arnoult. “He is an extremely hard worker, and it is great to see it pay off.”