State Champion spotlight: Hugh McSorley Scarborough
Scarborough senior Hugh McSorley was the surprise Class A champion in the shot put with a heave of 51-4 1/4. McSorley was the second Scarborough thrower in a row to win the indoor state title as teammate Mike Pino did it a year ago. We caught up with Hugh to ask a few questions about his preparation before the meet, his mindset on race day, what it meant to win his first individual state championship
What were your preparations leading up to the state meet?
Leading up to states I just practiced as best I could. I knew the things
I really needed to work on. To get a big throw all I had to do was stay
back with my weight and get a nice block at the end. These things
started to come together a few weeks before states after a pretty much
season long slump. That's been a normality for me throughout my high
school career so I didn't panic. I knew everything would come together
at the end of the season and I would get some big throws in the
championships just like always. The week before states I made sure to
count my throws and not wear myself out too bad. I tried to stay off my
feet for the most part other than on Friday and Saturday while working
an event at my church. The night before I went to bed around 9 knowing I
would need to rest up and I woke up around 8 feeling great and ready to
throw far. I always start the day of a meet with a protein packed
breakfast. Monday morning I got up and made myself 4 full eggs with 4
whites to give myself the energy I would need to get the shot out there.
On the bus to USM and while I was warming up to throw I got in the zone
with some music. The music I listen to varies between rap, hip hop, and
rock but the commonality between all of it is that it's all music by
Christian artists. There's nothing that'll get you pumped up like
listening to music about the greatness of God and his purpose for your
life. It really is truly amazing.
How did you deal with the pressure and emotions that come along with competing in a state meet?
I've always been a big meet performer, but lots of guys find it hard to
shut off their brain and not think about the throws and their distances.
My biggest key is to walk away. There's everybody else out there
throwing but who cares. Everybody is out there to compete but you can't
beat all those other guys unless you beat yourself. I don't care what my
competition throws until the very end. I could sit by the circle all I
want and listen to all the distances but if I did that then in my mind
I'd be thinking “Okay, I have to throw at least this far." Then when
getting in the circle I would be thinking “I gotta get this throw and
beat whichever competitor it is," and that's so much unnecessary
pressure to put on yourself. By walking away I completely avoid that and
focus on doing the best that I can do because I can't control anyone
but myself. I just try to put a good throw out there to start and put on
the pressure because I know that some people can't handle it and will
crack. As far as emotion I let it all out. At big meets I get so pumped
up on adrenaline it's crazy. During my throws at the state meet I got
into the back of the circle and was shaking with adrenaline. Then when I
get a good throw I don't try to hide it, you'll see a fist pump or
something in there. I leave everything in the circle and leave no
regrets.
Did
you ever think you would win the state title in the shot put this
season and what went through your mind when you had clinched the win?
I didn't think I was going to win the state meet. Coming into the indoor
season I thought that Danny was going to beat me all year long. This
summer I threw with him a couple times and one of the times was just a
couple days after he learned how to spin and he was already throwing the
shot out to 56 ft. Coming into the meet I was looking to fight a hard
battle for second place. Nick White had a pr of around 52 but the week
before at SMAA's had beat me out for second place by just a quarter of
an inch with a throw of 50-8.75. Then there was Bickford who had a throw
of 50-8.25 at the KVAC championship. I knew that it would be a battle
but coming in I was confident that I could get a good throw and beat
both of them. Going into final throws of the preliminary round I knew I
was leading the pack and that Nick and Danny had fouled both of their
throws. When Nick fouled his third throw I thought that I had clinched
second, at that point I had gotten a throw just over 51 and I honestly
didn't think Bickford would catch me, especially given that his best
throw to that point was around 46-47. Then when Danny fouled I went
ballistic. I was standing at the back of the sector and I watched his
footing and saw his blocking foot swipe the edge of the ring to the side
of the toe board. When that happened I was jumping around and my
adrenaline levels climbed even higher than they were before. While I was
waiting for the official to determine the other throwers for the finals
I was running around the infield and jumping all over the place keeping
myself warm and my muscles primed to throw. At that point I knew I had
won the meet and I was determined to push myself further ahead of the
other throwers. I think it was my second throw of finals when I got out
to 51-4.25 which was a nice pr. In my series I think I had three throws
that were further than my previous pr of 50-8.5. Then when the finals
finished and I had won I was so happy. I had throwers, coaches,
athletes, and spectators congratulating me as well as all my teammates.
It was also great because Ryan Yurchick, the throws coach from Gordon
College, which is my number one choice school, was there to see me beat
out my competition and win a state championship. I was thrilled that I
was able to put on a good showing for him as well as for all the other
people there who had come to watch the meet.
Coming into the season what were your goals and did you achieve them?
Coming into the season I really wanted to break the 50 ft barrier. It
was something that I saw my team mate Mike Pino do last year before he
graduated as well as Nick and Danny who were still here this season to
compete against. Obviously I hit the distance I needed with several
throws at SMAA's and states over 50 ft. It was an amazing feeling to do
it at SMAA's and coming into states I knew that I could easily do it
again and was just focused on throwing further than the week before and
putting on the pressure.
How do you think winning an individual state title will effect you heading into outdoors?
This
championship is going to give me so much momentum heading into
outdoors. I still have New England Championships next Friday where I
hope I can place, but after that everything is going to be focused on
preparing for outdoor. I'm going to be hitting the weights hard with
Nick who I started training with earlier this season. Also as soon as
possible I'll be getting outside to throw. Last year I got outside to
throw discus two weeks after New England's which was something like a
month before the track season even started. This year I'm going to be
throwing only my 2 kilogram discus for at least the first several weeks
to a month of throwing to build up some strength and practice moving a
larger weight far distances. I'm going to do the same thing in shot
throwing only the 16 lbs as long as my elbow holds up to it. I've had
elbow problems since last indoor season and went through physical
therapy this summer but since then I've kept on top of it and emphasized
good throwing form to keep the strain off of my elbow. This should
further strengthen my elbow and also allow me to develop an even larger
pop at the end of my throw with my block. That way when the season comes
and I get to that first meet throwing the 1.61 kilogram discus and the
12 lbs shot, it'll feel like a breeze and I can pop off some monster
pr's. During outdoors I'll be looking to get up around 56-58 in the shot
and hopefully up to 180-185 in the discus. I'll be looking for a win in
the discus at states for sure and hopefully I can add another in the
shot. I also want to place at the New England regional meet; last year I
was one place off from scoring in the discus. If I get my pr's up where
I want winning New England's could be within the realm of possibility
as well.
McSorley's Shot Put Progression
Shot Put
- 2015 Indoor 51-4.25
- 2014 Outdoor 48-6.5
- 2014 Indoor 49-4.25
- 2013 Outdoor 47-5
- 2013 Indoor 46-4.75
- 2012 Outdoor 37-11
- 2012 Indoor 35-5.5
2014-15 Season Results
| 51-4.25 | 1st | 2015-02-16 | Class A Indoor State Championship | ||
| 50-8.5 | 3rd | 2015-02-07 | SMAA Southwesterns Championships | ||
| 49-3 | 2nd | 2015-01-31 | SMAA makeup @ Colby | ||
| 47-1 | 1st | 2015-01-17 | SMAA: Deering, Marshwood, Scarborough & Windham | ||
| 45-11.5 | 3rd | 2015-01-03 | SMAA: Cheverus, McAuley, Scarborough & South Portland | ||
| 45-6.75 | 4th | 2014-12-27 | USM Relays | ||
| 46-0.25 | 1st | 2014-12-20 | SMAA: Biddeford, Massabesic,Scarborough, & TA | ||
| 46-7.25 | 1st | 2014-12-13 | SMAA: Bonny Eagle-Gorham-Scarborough-Westbrook |