PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The legendary Nick Vena, the greatest thrower in New Jersey high school history, was inducted into the prestigious Penn Relays Wall of Fame during a ceremony at the 128th running of the meet on Saturday at historic Franklin Field.
Vena, who graduated from Morristown High School in 2011 with every possible shot put record in NJ history, is the only high school athlete to ever win the boys shot put title four times at the Penn Relays. He was selected as the Outstanding High School Male Athlete for the individual events after winning the shot put as a freshman in 2008 with a 63-6¾. As a sophomore, he broke the Penn Relays meet record three times with throws of 69-7 ½ 70-5¾, and 72-2½, and he repeated as the Outstanding Male Athlete for the individual events.
As a junior, Vena won the shot at Penn with a throw of 70-5¾, and as a senior in 2011, he broke his own meet record two more times with throws of 72-8 and 72-9¼. Vena's 72-9.25 stood as the meet record until 2016.
'It's such a great honor to be inducted into the Penn Relays Wall of Fame and be among all the greats that competed here,'' said the 31-year-old Vena. "There is nothing bigger or better than winning at the Penn Relays, and I was able to do it four times and be an MVP twice. I have so many great memories here, from my great battle with Mike Alleman (Scotch Plains-Fanwood) my freshman year, to breaking the meet record. The Penn Relays will always be a special place for me and my family, and I was always proud to represent Morristown.''
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Vena is one of the greatest throwers in U.S. high school history.
In addition to his 4 Penn Relays championships, Vena was a perfect 8 for 8 at the NJ Meet of Champions in the shot, won 4 National Scholastic Indoor titles, set the state indoor (71-9 1/2) and state outdoor (75-10.25) records, and finished his career with a U.S. high school record 96 throws over 70 feet!!!
Vena, who went on to star at the University of Virginia and the University of Georgia, also captured one NJ Meet of Champions title in the discus to give him a total of nine M of C titles (indoors and outdoors combined). That's tied for the most in NJ history.
What's Vena doing these days?
Vena, who lives in Whippany, teaches physical education at Morristown, coaches the throws and the high jump, and is a volunteer cross-country coach at his alma mater.
Congrats to NJ's King of the Ring!!!!