Benjamin Shue has wasted no time making his presence felt in the circle!
The freshman star at Bergen Catholic, who came into high school with star-potential written all over him, sent shockwaves around the country on Tuesday when the 6-2, 245-pound phenom sent the saucer flying 181-3 to demolish the state freshman discus record during a tri-meet at Paramus Catholic. The lefty-spinner also sent the shot put soaring 59-1, No. 2 all-time in NJ history among freshmen.
Shue's massive discus bomb obliterated the state freshman mark of 169-6 that U.S. Olympian Sam Mattis of East Brunswick set at the Colts Neck Relays in 2009, and is No. 3 in U.S. high school history for a freshman. Mattis, who competed in the discus at the Olympics in Tokyo last summer, owns the state discus record of 218-4 that he set at the Greater Middlesex Conference Relays in 2012.
"It's exciting, but through my career I have always told myself and my parents have told me to never be complacent,'' said Shue.
Shue, whose opened his season with a 167-10 in the discus and a 58-0.50 in the shot at the Maryland Invitational last Friday, is chasing the national freshman discus record of 191-8, set in 1999 by Derek Randall of Beeville, Texas.
As for the shot put, the only freshman in NJ history to throw the 12-pounder further than Shue is the legendary Nick Vena of Morristown, who still owns the national freshman record of 67-10.25, which he set in 2008. Vena also owns the state record of 75-10.25.