In today's Daily Mail, there's an article I wrote on Hurricane first baseman Maddie Hebb, a freshman with the rising Redskins softball team. To read that article, click here.
I do not have any game or event assignments this week, so I am strictly working on features, but I have plenty of them for this week's paper.
On Friday, I visited the Winfield Classic, a track meet held at Winfield High School. I used the opportunity to interview Poca sophomore Christian Buckley and his older brother, senior Quentin Buckley, along with Dots track coach John Bonecutter.
I spoke with these fine folks, because I was putting together a feature article on Christian Buckley, who leads Class AA in both shot put and discus. As a result of my interview with Christian, I learned how much a family sport shot and disc is for the Buckley family, as his brother Quentin ranks among the state's best in both events, too, and the brothers' father Dana Buckley introduced them to the sport after participating in high school. Dana now coaches the Poca Middle School track team.
I watched Christian and Quentin throw in the disc event. The brothers took first and second, with Christian claiming first with a new personal record throw of 162 feet, eight and one-half inches. Quentin took second with a throw of 142 feet, five inches. In the shot, Christian won with a throw of 49 feet, two inches. Quentin placed fourth with a throw of 43 feet, three inches.
I tried to take some pictures, though my shutter speed wasn't fast enough to capture the speed of the motion generated by the brothers in the disc. I had hoped for better luck in the shot, but could not stay to watch the Buckleys compete, as they were in the final of six flights. I waited through two flights before deciding the pace was too slow and temperature too cold to wait any longer. Below are the best three pictures I took of Christian in the disc.
In addition to my feature on the Buckleys, this week I'll have a feature on Capital distance runner Peyton Panger, who continues to excel among the state's best. Panger, a sophomore, is a tremendous cross country runner who has successfully translated her skills to the shorter track events.
I'll also have an article for Friday's Daily Mail sports section that will preview the Gazette/Friends of Coal Relays, to be held Friday and Saturday at University of Charleston's Laidley Field. There are plenty of talented track teams and athletes across the Kanawha Valley. With many of the state's top squads competing in this weekend's meet, I'll do my best to preview some of the area's teams in attendance. Look for comments from Bonecutter, of Poca, Capital's Jared Smith, Hurricane distance coach Jason Henley and Winfield girls coach David Bailey.
Beyond that, this week I finished an article on Capital junior catcher/pitcher Seth Roadcap and his father Steve Roadcap, a certified professional scout for the Cincinnati Reds. My article, to run later this week in The Daily Mail, takes a look at the father-son's relationship when it comes to baseball and the benefits Seth and his game have received as the result of his father's line of work.
That's not all this week, though. As UC baseball and softball approach the end of the regular season, I'll have a feature on each.
My UC baseball feature will focus upon Huntington graduate Anthony Brunetti, a freshman. Brunetti has excelled this season both on the mound as a reliever, at third base and hitting at the plate. I'll take a look at how Brunetti's many tools allowed him the opportunity to experience what few attain as a freshman -- playing time and excelling in his chances.
As for the UC softball article, I plan to do my research tonight, so the topic is still undetermined.
So, whether you're a track, softball or baseball fan, follower of local high school or collegiate sports, I'll have plenty of material for you to peruse in this week's Daily Mail. I hope you'll enjoy it.
In the meantime, below are some extra quotes I transcribed from my interviews with Poca track coach John Bonecutter and sophomore track and field athlete Christian Buckley. I wanted to share these extra quotes as there was not enough room in my article to use them all.
John Bonecutter, Poca track coach
-on Christian Buckley's preference in shot put versus discus
“It’s hard to say that he’s better in one than the other, because he’s throwing so well in each. I don’t think he really has a better event. He likes them both.”
-on Christian Buckley's appearance
“I think a lot of people look at him and think ‘Oh, he must be strong, if he can throw it that far.’ He’s probably the strongest out here, but what he lacks in strength, he makes up with skills.”
-on Christian Buckley's potential
“The sky’s the limit.”
-on Christian Buckley's future, given he was third in the state in discus and fourth in shot put as a freshman
“As a freshman, when you place in both, it’s pretty impressive. I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him. I think if he keeps throwing like this, he can pick where he wants to go (to college).”
Christian Buckley, Poca sophomore
-on achieving so much success at such a young age
“It feels pretty good. I know I have a couple more years to improve on it and I compete in the summer, so that’s my real goal here, is just to try to increase my ranking in the nation, work on that. I got my big brother to look up to, he’s leaving this year, so I’ll lose my training partner this year. I’m looking forward to the next two years.”
-on what he feels has attributed to his success this season
“I think just more strength in the offseason, and I play basketball, too, so there’s some cross-training there. It’s early in the season, so I’m really just finding out what I can do this season. I can’t really answer why I’m getting a new PR every time. It’s just kind of happening.”
-on his preference between shot put and discus
“I got a new respect for shot this year. It’s finally clicked for me, and I’m doing pretty good in that right now, so I’m starting to like it a little bit more, but my favorite has to be the disc.”
-on developing strength
“The past couple years I’ve really seen the rewards of weightlifting. I’ve been getting into that more and more thanks to my dad. He played football in college and he’s always been lifting so he got us into that.”
-on the possibilities of throwing shot and disc at the college level
“I’d love to. If the opportunity presents itself, I mean if it works out, I would love to, but it’s not something that I’m going to make sure I have to do.”
-on the use of technique versus strength in shot put and discus
“I would say it’s more technique than anything. It’s taken hours and hours and I’ve done it for years now. It’s just the technique – it’s hard to explain how much of it, it is unless you truly felt it. You’ll see kids out here who are just using strength and it’s pretty impressive, but you can really tell when somebody’s techniques, it really pops out there.”
-on this season's goals
“State championship definitely. I’ve tried to beat my goals. I was wanting a 160 this year and just got that, so it’s hard to tell what I’m going to get this year, but state championship definitely.”
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