Prep track and field: Mead junior Simon Rosselli ranked second in nation for discus

A year ago, Simon Rosselli improved 30 feet in the discus from a season-opening meet to concluding with a state championship.

The Mead junior expected a similar leap this spring. He didn’t know it would happen in the first month – and be so spectacular.

Rosselli hurled the 3½-pound discus 211 feet, 7 inches, breaking the state record Saturday at historic Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

The previous record was 207-4 set in 2022 by Jeremiah Nubbe of Rainier.

The throw vaulted Rosselli to second in the nation. Jason Atwood of Tallahassee, Florida, has the nation’s top throw at 216-7.

As pleased as Rosselli was with his throw, he’s far from satisfied.

“It came from a lot of training and a lot of technique (work),” Rosselli said. “I’ve worked pretty much the whole offseason and I’ve really tried to dial in my technique.”

Rosselli is built for the throws, especially discus. He’s 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds. Long levers serve him well as he spins from the back of the ring to the front, building momentum as he whips his body around before release.

He’s doing the shot put for the first time this spring. The second throw will help him earn more scholarship assistance when he heads to college.

In his first meet last month, he threw the shot 51-0. His season best is 55-5.

Rosselli broke the school record in the discus (191-10), set by Jason Baskett in 1989, with a throw of 198-1 at the Return of the Big Red Invitational on March 22 at Ferris.

Baskett, who doubled as a state champ in the discus and shot put in 1989, has the school record in the shot (64-10½).

James Lehr, who coaches the Panthers’ throwers, got to see Rosselli’s record heave.

“You could tell when he let go of it it was gone,” Lehr said. “His passion is the first thing you notice. His motivation to throw far is incredible. He puts a goal in his head and fights like heck to get there. He’s got some natural skill set and a really good frame to throw far.”

Funny thing is Rosselli was coming off a meet where the first time in his career he didn’t get a legal throw. All of his throws were out of the sector. He said a couple of the throws were in the 210-foot range.

So he knew something good was around the corner.

“It was good to see it in between the lines, but I don’t think surprised is the right word,” Rosselli said about his mammoth throw. “I’d say I was more proud and happy to see it.”

Rosselli is headed to the 57th Arcadia Invitational near Los Angeles this weekend. It’s a prestigious meet that attracts many of the top athletes across the nation.

“I want to win (at Arcadia) really bad,” Rosselli said. “The wind at Arcadia is some of the best in the world, based on how it comes off the ocean and how the discus ring is set up. If it’s a good wind and I catch it just right, I’ll have another big throw.”

Rosselli has nine more meets left, including district and state. He expects to break his latest feat.

“There’s still room to improve, still a farther throw that needs to be thrown,” Rosselli said. “I have another big one coming. I don’t know exact numbers, but I know there’s a lot more I can do.”

Double Dragons

Long-distance standouts Josie McLaughlin and Regan Thomas at St. George’s are off to fantastic starts.

Thomas captured the State 2B cross country championship last fall and McLaughlin was runner-up. They both won multiple state titles in leading the Dragons to a state track title last year.

McLaughlin ran a personal best in the 800 meters at the Oregon Relays last weekend, taking third in a time of 2 minutes, 13.48 seconds. She’s knocking on the door to be in the all-time top 10 among Spokane-area runners.

Thomas ran a personal-best 10:51.37 in the 3,200 in a loaded field at the Oregon Relays. She was 17th.

Thomas and McLaughlin are 1-2 in the 1,600 among 2B runners.

Headed east

Talented twins Maximum and Zachery Cervi-Skinner of Coeur d’Alene have signed with Wake Forest.

They led Coeur d’Alene to back-to-back state championships in cross country the past two years.

In a special 2-mile event at the Oregon Relays, Zackery finished second (9:01.26) and Maximus was third (9:01.35). Also, they were second and third, respectively, in the 3,200 (Zackery 8:58.33, Maximus 8:58.50).

Honor roll

Here are some other top times/marks by area athletes broken down by classification:

4A: Elijah Tobin, Lewis and Clark (800, 1:57.03); Jaeland Leman, Mead (110 hurdles, 14.5); Feso Ogbozor, Gonzaga Prep (triple jump, 46-3).

3A: Makenna Ritter, Kira Ritter, Madi Hood, Laine Gardner of Mt. Spokane (4x200 relay, 1:45.3); Addy MacArthur, University (shot put, 43-7); Kara Minette, Central Valley (high jump, 5-2).

2A: Krystian Pikulik, Rogers (300 hurdles, 39.18); Talan Hughes, East Valley (300h, 39.63); Cooper Henkle, West Valley (discus 184-5; javelin 189-1); Veronica Garcia, EV (400, 55.23); Zaquiyah Tomeo, Saige Alexandra Stuart, Kiera Smith, Achilles Muhammad of Rogers (4x100, 49.92).

1A: Jett Winger, Lakeside (javelin, 185-5); Lacy Crabtree, Lakeside (300h, 45.52); Crabtree, Brooklyn Stueckle, Macy Cummings, Layla Jones (4x100, 50.78); Crabtree, Cummings, Jones, Tea Simonson (4x400, 4:07.78); Emily Winborne, Lakeside (javelin, 125-6).

2B: Shawn Jones, St, George’s (800, 1:55.46); Trenton Sandborn, Freeman (110h 14.94; 300h 39.91; high jump 6-8); Jones, Braydon Baylee, Jake Werner, Per Sande (4x400, 3:27.8); Colby Shamlin, Northwest Christian (javelin 174-6); Baylee (long jump 20-11¾); Nicole DuPont, Anneke Haskins, Rylee Russell, Dakota Daines of Freeman (4x200, 1:49.66); Savvy Briceno, Kalea Schlenker, Regan Thomas, Josie McLaughlin of St. George’s (4x400, 4:09.40).

1B: Westin Madden, Valley Christian (1,600 4:27.67; 3,200 10:12.05); Kyra Brantner, Garfield-Palouse (100 12.6; 200 26.89; long jump 17-5; triple jump 36-6).