Athlete of the Week: Titans’ Clark outshining the big boys in shot put circle
By now most throwers in the San Diego Section know Colton Clark can bring it in the shot put ring. But outsiders who see his 5-foot-8, 210-pound frame for the first time don’t give the Poway High junior much of a chance.
“I remember we went to the Elmer Runge Classic at Patrick Henry High School and there were a lot of unfamiliar schools and I just got up there and threw it farther than everyone,” Clark said. “Everyone was saying ‘oh my gosh. How does this kid do that?’ They didn’t expect it at all. I ended up getting field athlete of the meet after taking first in both the shot and discus.”
To answer the question of those kids that day: Clark does it through pure power, explosiveness and a superior technique to most his age.
“He makes up for his lack of height through strength,” Poway throw’s coach Phil Burian said. “He is a ball of muscle. He squats 440 pounds, power cleans 275 pounds and benches around 290 pounds. He is not nearly as big as those guys that will be at CIF, but he is stronger and he runs a 4.7-second 40-yard dash.”
Clark said he enjoys beating guys that are taller than him and have a longer arm span.
“It feels good to be able to throw farther than someone who is a lot bigger,” he said. “Especially because people are thinking that the bigger guys are going to throw a lot farther than the guy who is only 5-8. It is nice to prove them wrong.”
Clark, who plays fullback and defensive line for the football team, captured the Palomar League shot put title for the second straight year and won the discus championship for the first time on Saturday. And he did it coming off of a serious right-leg hamstring injury suffered just over two weeks before.
“When the injury first occurred the doctor told me I would be out the rest of the season,” said Clark, whose 53-foot, 9.5-inch throw in the shot put earlier this season ranks No. 3 in the section. His toss of 154-5 in the discus makes him No. 8 in the section. “Then my trainer at school evaluated me and said it wouldn’t be long until I get back. I would say I was about 95-percent healthy at the league championships.”
Clark is hoping to finish in the top three in each event at the San Diego Section championships so he could advance to his first state meet. First, he will need to qualify for the section finals through Saturday’s preliminaries. The girls start at 9 a.m. and the boys start at 2 p.m. at Mt. Carmel High School.
“It would mean a lot to be able to make it to state, especially since I didn’t make it last year,” Clark said. “It is a big goal of mine. I think the shot is a little more likely, but it is realistic to think I can make it in both.”
Those who have seen him throw agree. And those who haven’t are in for a big surprise.