It seems that little Buena Vista High School has had more than its share of success in track and field over the years.
Nearly 20 years ago, Olympic silver medalist Matt Hemingway jumped for BVHS. He did a great job of it, too. He still owns the state all-classification high jump record and the 3A state meet record.
Just three years ago, Rachel Gioscia became the first 3A girl to run sub-5 for the 1600 meters. And the list goes on, names like Pat Ryan (who almost single-handedly won the state meet in 1978), Tad Schoedel, and many more. Tradition runs deep at Buena Vista High School.
Add Mason Finley to that list. In his first meet in the red-and-white uniform of the Buena Vista Demons, Finley smashed the state discus record. In fact, on his third throw as a Buena Vista Demon, he established a new state record.
Buena Vista coach Kyle Graff described Finley's throws as "just a tremendous series." Tremendous it was. Out of six throws in prelims and finals, at least five carried beyond 190 feet. Two broke the previous state record. This was no fluke.
For Finley, there may have been just as much satisfaction in breaking 200 as in breaking the record, but "breaking the record makes it that much sweeter." His goal for the year sits at 210, and that in itself marks the continuation of a nice progression beginning with a best throw of 156 as a freshman, and followed by a best throw of 186 as a sophomore. "I know I can go farther [than 202-10], but don't know if it will be a big jump or a slow, steady incline."
As spectacular as the day ended up being, both Finley and Coach Graff, upon arriving at the meet, felt it was probably not going to be the best of days. It was cold, cold enough for intermittent snow flurries during the meet. The wind was blowing off and on. But all those things become irrelevant if your focus and technique are cooperating with each other. Of the throw itself, Finley reported, "I felt I hit all my positions right. It felt real nice. I knew it was going to be a good throw."
So, who needs nice weather and balmy conditions, anyway? Meet director Jeff Schroll put the weather conditions into perspective, "It was freezing, but it was awesome to witness history with the best discus throw ever in the state."
Of further interest is the fact that Finley's record throw took place at an elevation of 6330 feet. Thinner air generally means less lift for a throw. At sea level, Finley's throw likely would have carried farther.
But, the elevation doesn't get any lower quite yet. Next stop for the Buena Vista Demons is the Air Force Academy track this Saturday. There, Finley gets to throw at 6900 feet. No doubt, there will be a somewhat larger-than-usual crowd gathering at the discus venue. Perhaps several more fans of track and field will get to see history being made.