(Editor’s note: This story is being republished in its entirety because of design errors with Monday’s publication.)
Tucker Smith was 7 or 8 years old when his father Tom came to him with a novel idea.
“My dad was trying to find a way to pay for college,” Tucker said. “I was a pretty big butterball, so he figured I could throw. He came to my room and said, ‘Do you want to do shot put.’ I said, ‘Yeah,’ before I even knew what it was.”
Now 15, the Columbus North freshman is perhaps the top shot putter his age in the country. He won Junior Olympic national championships as 12-year-old and 14-year-old and will go for the 16-year-old national title in July.
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Last month, Smith made his presence felt in the state high school meet by finishing second in the shot as the only freshman in the field. He is this year’s The Republic Boys Track Athlete of the Year.
“That’s pretty impressive in itself — to take second at the state meet — and to do it as a freshman is pretty impressive,” North coach Lou Sipe said. “He’s come up through the ranks through the USATF program. He works extremely hard at it. He trains year-round for track and field, and he’s a kid that really and truly loves the sport. So I’m happy for his success, and I’m very excited to see what he can do moving forward.”
Smith threw 57 feet, 8 inches last year as an eighth-grader. He broke the Bull Dogs’ school record with a 57-9 throw at the North Sectional, then broke it again with a 58-2¾ effort in winning the Warren Central Regional.
At state, Smith threw 56-9¾ to finish second behind Terre Haute South junior Jason Swarens.
“It was a really cool experience,” Smith said. “At the beginning of the year, I hit 56 feet and stayed there for about two months, and near the end, (set personal records) two or three times in a row. I was happy with being able to break the record freshman year because I was coming in not expecting to be able to break it by as much as I did. The technical part of it was still pretty slow coming around, but I got that and got comfortable, I felt pretty good.”
Smith also threw the discus and won a couple of early-season dual meets in that event. But he did not throw the discus at the sectional.
“I wasn’t focused on discus at all, really, because it’s never been my main event,” Smith said. “I started the shot three or four years before I did discus, so it might be awhile before I catch up technique-wise.”
Smith gave up basketball after his eighth-grade year. He started at left tackle and defensive end for the Bull Dogs freshman football team, but has since given up that sport.
For now, Smith is focused on the Junior Olympics regional, which will be July 13-14 in Joliet, Illinois, and qualifying the national championships July 22-28 in Sacramento, California. Then, he has some pretty lofty goals for next high school season.
“I want to get close to the state record (66-8½), and then junior year, break it and get close to 70 feet,” Smith said.
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The Republic All-Area Boys Track and Field team:
Tucker Smith, Columbus North: The freshman won sectional and regional titles and finished second at state in the shot put.
Matt Newell, Columbus North: The freshman won sectional and regional titles and finished 11th at state in the 1,600 meters.
Preston Terrell, Columbus North: The sophomore won sectional and regional titles and finished 12th at state in the high jump.
Reese Kilbarger-Stumpff, Columbus North: The freshman finished second in the regional and 19th at state in the 1,600.
Carson Littrell, Columbus North: The junior was a regional qualifier in the 800 and ran on the 4×800 relay team that finished 25th at state.
Collin Pruitt, Columbus North: The sophomore ran on the 4×800 relay team that finished 25th at state.
Sam Horak, Columbus North: The senior was a regional qualifier in the 800 and ran on the 4×800 relay team that finished 25th at state.
Andy Stohr, Columbus North: The sophomore ran on the 4×800 relay team that finished 25th at state.
Hunter Spalding, Columbus North: The senior finished fourth in the regional in the 400 and ran on the regional-qualifying 4×400 relay team.
John Sluys, Columbus North: The senior finished fourth in the regional in the 3,200.
Cody Horner, Columbus East: The senior was a sectional champion and finished 10th at state in the 100 and a regional qualifier in the 4×100 relay.
Crase Bergman, Columbus East: The sophomore was a sectional champion in the long jump and a regional qualifier in the 200 and 4×400 relay.
Jackson McPheeters, Brown County: The senior finished 18th at state in the 800.
Dale Phelps, Brown County: The senior finished 24th at state in the 300 hurdles.
AJ Goecker, Trinity Lutheran: The senior finished fourth in the Bloomington North Regional in the 3,200.
Honorable mention
Brown County: Aidan Burt, Marino Dolph, Waylon Patrick, Ricky Stanley: Columbus East: Seth Chandler, Zander Gentry, Lance Greiwe, Elliot Koopman, Anthony Lloyd, Garrett McGaha, Malachi Parks, Owen Rupp, Tyler Settle, Isaac VanCuren, Nick Walter, Marcus Zaspel. Columbus North: Felix Lawson, Noah Kestler, Ben Malone, Rishi Poludasu, Luke Riley, David Sandusky. Hauser: John Bragg. Jennings County: Lane Elsner, Jason Gasper, Alex Hendrix, Carter Leak, Aaron Martin, AJ Siener, Isaiah Stroud. South Decatur: Trent Nobbe.
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