HOT SHOT: Princeton High throwing star Sean Wilton, center, enjoys the moment last Saturday with assistant coaches Brandon Willams, left, and Fred Samara after he placed first in the shot put at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state track and field championship meet. Junior Wilton produced a best throw and personal best of 57’5.25 to win the title. Wilton will next be in action when he competes in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions on June 12 at Pennsauken High.

By Justin Feil

Sean Wilton was not satisfied as he stepped into the circle to make his final throw at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state track and field championship meet last Saturday at Franklin High.

The Princeton High junior stood in second place in the boys shot put behind South Brunswick’s Braden Paulmenn, just how he had finished at the sectional meet the week before – second behind Paulmenn. Wilton had thrown a personal-best 56’1 on his second throw of the group meet, but Paulmenn took the lead minutes later when he threw six inches further. Wilton fouled each of his next three throws to set up his last chance to pull ahead.

“The guy who was in first already beat me a week ago and I was not having it,” said Wilton. “I knew I could have beaten him both Saturday and the week before. I threw a PR, but it wasn’t enough, and then three fouls. And then I’m sitting on my last one. I just needed to figure it out. I kind of just focused on one thing and I just ripped it out the front.”

Wilton relied on his training, summoned all his strength, and produced a new personal record 57’5.50. When Paulmenn could not better it on his final throw, Wilton became Group 4 state champion.

“It felt really good,” said Wilton. “It’s been on my mind. I noticed early on in the season I was high in the Group 4 rankings and I knew I could always do it and then I did. It felt amazing.”

Wilton’s win marked a huge jump from last year’s 10th-place finish in the same event. He barely broke the 50-foot mark last spring.

“We’ve done a lot of technique work,” said Wilton. “Just my throw and nothing outside of it, staying calm on meet days and learning from each meet as we’ve gone along.”

Wilton had put together a series of good throws, but had been waiting for more improvement. After throwing 55’10.75 at the end of April, it was another three meets until he threw 55 feet again and then he never exceeded 55’5.

“I was really frustrated,” said Wilton. “But you won’t get any better if you don’t just keep going. So I just kind of had to keep going. I learned a lot this year about what it takes to throw well on the meet day and how to show up on meet day and throw as well as you have been in practice. I learned a lot through failure, but I figured it all out for this meet. I threw as well as I have in practice and I got it done.”

Wilton was gaining confidence even as the shot competition went along, even through his fouls. He felt that a big throw was coming.

“Even with my fouls, I could tell they’re going farther, and once I got to my last throw, I felt it right when it came out my hand,” said Wilton. “I was like, that feels really good and it just felt like my whole body went into the shot.”

Wilton was the lone PHS athlete to win at the group meet. The Tigers advanced a strong contingent out of the toughest sectional in New Jersey, Central Jersey Group 4. Wilton is the only one of them to earn a berth in the Meet of Champions on June 12 at Pennsauken High on June 12.

“He’s just one of the kids that does everything they need to do,” said PHS head coach Ben Samara. “To see a kid do everything right and reach their goal is always a great thing. Sean was over the moon about it.”

Wilton was unusually emotional given the perseverance it had taken to reach that championship level on top of having it come down to his final throw to upend a competitor that had just beaten him in the previous competition. After winning, he couldn’t contain himself.

“I was struggling all year,” said Wilton. “My PR was just below qualifying for nationals, and I really wanted to do that again. This kid just beat me a week ago. I knew I could beat him. Everything came together on that throw, and all the frustration was over, all the doubt that I could make nationals was over and I won my group. That was it, all the work I put in all year long just went into that moment. I couldn’t really help getting emotional, but it just kind of happened.”

Wilton also reached the group meet in the discus where he placed 17th with a throw of 120’2 on Friday. He put that finish behind him as well to win the shot put. Wilton responded well to the coaching of PHS assistants Brandon Williams and Fred Samara, the father of Ben Samara and former Princeton University men’s track head coach who came on board this spring as a part-time assistant for the Tigers.

“Sean’s been working tons with coach Williams and also here and there with my dad and they had a great practice together the other day leading up to groups,” said the younger Samara. “And my dad said if he can put together what they did in practice, he was going to have a huge throw. So they knew that it was there for him. He just had to put it together mentally and he did.”

Wilton will have a few more chances to extend his PR this year. The Meet of Champions will put him up against formidable competition, led by Bergen Catholic’s Benjamin Shue, who has thrown 69’2. Wilton’s focus will be on coming up with another best.

“He’s one inch off of the school record, so I know that’s on his mind,” Samara said. “You know he’d like to get that this year and not wait and have to wrap around to next year. But I think for him now it’s that moment of being in a spot you haven’t had a chance to be in before, and you know it’s going to pay dividends for him next year. I think just being able to be there and experience that. The 69-foot thrower, seeing that guy and knowing that you’re in the same competition with him, and potentially being in the final with him, these are all things that are going to just bring him to another level for next year.”

Wilton is the eighth seed for the MOC. It will be his first trip to the top spring meet in New Jersey, and then he expects to also compete at the outdoor track and field nationals after qualifying Saturday.

“It’s another chance to throw farther,” said Wilton. “I was looking at my throw at groups and I just know I can put more gas in the engine. It’s another chance to get even better than how I threw at groups and just another chance to prove to myself that I can throw farther.”

PHS tied for 19th in the boys’ team standings at the meet won by Westfield High. Tiger senior star Sawyer Quallen placed 13th in the triple jump, senior Josh Barzilai was 21st in the 800 meters, while the 4×800 took 23rd.

As for the Tiger girls, sophomore Kajol Karra provided a highlight as she took eighth in the girls 3,200 in 11:21.24. The PHS 4×800 relay placed 10th, the 4×100 relay was 18th, and the 4×400 was 19th at the meet win by Eastern Regional High.

“We didn’t do great in the other events at groups, but we really exceeded expectations at sectionals last week,” said Samara. “Getting that girls 4×1 through and both 4x8s. We’re just really happy with the team this year. It’s a nice young team.”

Many of the PHS athletes that competed at groups will return next year. They will bring with them the experience of this year’s groups, and for Wilton, an incredibly memorable finish in the boys shot put that keeps him on track for some lofty goals.

“I am extremely satisfied with shot put,” said Wilton. “Usually what people do is they improve like five feet, but I’ve improved seven and a half feet this year so I’m extremely happy with that. That was my goal going into this year because I knew with winter and spring I could definitely improve and get close to the school record.”