Benjamin Shue of Bergen Catholic completed a dynamic double in the circle on Saturday when the sophomore star unloaded a huge personal best to win the shot put at the Arcadia Invitational in California.
Shue unloaded a massive bomb in his final attempt when he sent the 12-pound ball soaring 63-5.50 to put an exclamation point on his victory. That throw is No. 4 in the nation this season, places Shue No. 2 on NJ's all-time sophomore list, No. 16 on NJ all-time overall list, and is No. 11 on the all-time U.S. sophomore list.
NJ now boasts two throwers over 60 feet already this season. St. Rose junior Josh Huisman hit 61-5 at the CBA Penn Relay Qualifying Invitational last week, and threw a PR of 62-0.75 to win the Meet of Champions indoor title last month.
The only sophomore in state history history to throw further than Shue is the legendary Nick Vena of Morristown, the state record holder in the shot put. Vena launched a still-standing national sophomore record 72-8 to finish first at the 2009 Meet of Champions. Vena owns the state record of 75-10.25, which came on the final throw of his high school career at the 2011 Meet of Champions at Lombardi Field in Old Bridge.
The series for the lefty-spinning Shue, whose came into the season with a PR of 60-9 that he threw to win the Non-Public A State Championship last spring, consisted of a 58-0, 59-8, 61-3.50, 59-9, 60-7, and then the 63-5.50.
Shue's shot put victory came a few hours after he placed third in the discus with a 187-2. Last spring, Shue's smashed the national freshman record in the discus when he sent the saucer flying 198-5 to win the State Non-Public title.
In case you are wondering, the NJ state sophomore discus record is 197-3 and the overall NJ record is 218-4, both held by U.S. Olympian Sam Mattis of East Brunswick. Mattis threw the his state record of 218-4 at the 2012 GMC Relays at South Brunswick.