PITTSFIELD — Often relegated to a back field well away from the main action, throwers rarely are the center of attention at a high school outdoor track and field meet.
“We’re pretty overlooked,” Messalonskee senior Jacob Doyon acknowledged. “I would say a good three-quarters of the people — besides parents — that are there they are all there for the running events.
“That’s the main focus of a track meet, field comes second behind track.”
Doyon and his fellow throwers took center stage Saturday afternoon at Maine Central Institute, though, as 15 teams — including Skowhegan, Lawrence, Waterville, Hall-Dale, Nokomis, Messalonskee and MCI — showed up for the inaugural Husky Throwdown.
It is the first outdoor track meet held at MCI in 31 years and the idea of Huskies track coach Jason Allen. When asked what it took to organize the event, Allen, who has been coaching track at MCI for 15 years, could not help but get a little emotional.
“It’s certainly been a hectic couple of weeks trying to make sure everything was set up the way that we wanted,” Allen said, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. “It was a lot of late nights making lists and figuring out what we need, who is going to do what. Lots of help from lots of parents.
“We were here until like 9 o’clock last night getting everything ready. Honestly, it’s really been about four months in the making because it was something I thought up in January and we’ve been planning it since then.”
Allen was just one of a number of people on hand for the event with ties to the track program at MCI. When Allen began coaching the Huskies as an assistant, it was while on the staff of current Nokomis coach John Hubbell.
“It’s nice (to have a meet here), it really is,” Hubbell, who coached at MCI for nine years beginning in the late 1990s, said. “When we were here, we had these two circles that were in the middle of the football practice field and we did shot and (discus) from them, that was it.”
Current Hall-Dale coach Jarod Richmond, an MCI graduate, said being back on campus brought back plenty of memories.
“I was walking around down by implement check and it was a rush of memories coming back here,” Richmond said. “It’s really awesome what Jason and his staff have done to put this event together.
“When I ran here I was like, ‘wow, it would be cool to have a meet here.’ We always talked about it. To be able to put this together is really great and it’s a special day.”
It was also a special day for current athletes as well. MCI senior Katie Hughes has been one of the team’s top throwers for the past few years, yet now she can say she competed at a home track meet before graduating high school.
“It’s really, really cool to see it all come together,” Hughes said. “This is my fourth year and I’ve seen the whole process.
“… I’m just really excited to have the opportunity to throw here. Everyone who is here is a thrower. The fans who are here are here to see the throwers. It’s for us. I guess that sounds not very humble but it’s really nice.”
In addition to the throwers getting their chance in the spotlight, the conditions for the meet could not have been any better with temperatures in the mid- to upper-60s, few clouds in the sky and very little wind.
“I like it because it’s very laid back,” added Hall-Dale’s Dani Sweet. “It’s not so chaotic with all the runners across the track and whatnot.”
Proceeds for the event benefited the MCI track program as it looks to continue to improve the facility. The discus and shot put events were contested in circles that were poured last fall, while girls javelin was held on the football field.
The boys javelin was contested on the far field behind the scoreboard, which the school plans to use for field hockey and soccer in the fall.
“Our hope is that, not necessarily just from this meet, but eventually that we can maybe raise enough funds to add to our program and be able to get pole vault equipment and new high jump mats,” Allen said.
Evan Crawley — 621-5640
ecrawley@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @Evan_Crawley
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