EDWARDSVILLE – Roxana's Jordan Hawkins has emerged this season as one of the nation's top discus throwers.
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Hawkins, a senior who will be heading to Iowa next year, has one of the nation's top throws this season in the event, uncorking a toss of 194-5 during the recent Wood River Relays meet.
Hawkins took part in Saturday's Winston Brown Invitational meet in Edwardsville won edged Quincy's Jordan Johnson by an inch, Hawkins with a throw of 184-5 to Johnson's 184-4; both are among the state's top throwers this season.
“The past two days – we had a meet (in Litchfield) yesterday and I was a little tight from that,” Hawkins said following Saturday's performance. “Getting out here early in the morning after a heavy training week, I'm pretty pleased with a 184, especially the past week throwing a 194; I'm feeling really good.
“I'll take it, especially with Johnson being the No. 2 thrower in the country – that throw's a big confidence booster. I think there's a lot more in the tank.”
Hawkins represented the Shells in last year's IHSA Class 2A state track meet in Charleston, finishing fourth in last year's discus throw with a 172-7 effort, after a 164-2 toss that gave him fourth in the 2016 state meet; his aim this year is to get back to O'Brien Field on the Eastern Illinois campus and close out his high school career with a state title in the event.
“The state championship is the goal, but like I said back in November when I signed (with Iowa), hard work is the goal, so I think being the hardest worker can get me where I want; I can see glimpses of it now (the work Hawkins has put in).”
Hawkins opened the season with tosses in the 170s - “that was a good mark to start the year off with,” he said. “We're still hitting training pretty hard, so that's going to slump in a week – I feel very, very good with my performances.”
The cold, rainy spring weather hasn't been the best for both training and meets, Hawkins said. “I'm a thrower; I throw much, much better in the heat because I'm more flexible – I've gotta have heat to loosen up my muscles and everything.
“It's been an awkward spring to have a senior year of track, but I'm taking it just meet by meet. It's senior year, I'm signed, I don't have to worry about impressing any universities – I can just have fun with my senior year.
“The support I get around (Roxana High) and the community's just outstanding. I love it.”
The Shells will be in today's Madison County Championship small-school meet at Civic Memorial in Bethalto.
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Feeney, 56, is a native of Granite City and graduated from Granite City South in 1978. He was a part-time writer for the old Granite City Journal from 1979-84 before attending Eastern Illinois University in Charleston,
from which he earned his BA in journalism in 1988. He has worked for newspapers in Sikeston, Mo., Rocky Mount, N.C., Seneca, S.C. and in Charleston-Mattoon. He also worked for the old St. Clair County Suburban
Journals.
