First-year thrower Mike Simeon, a rising senior at Egg Harbor Township, showed some promise this past indoor season, placing 3rd at South Jersey Group 4 sectionals with a 48-0 ¾ and reaching 49-5 at Easterns.
But he really blossomed this spring, with a consistent series of performances and eight straight meets over 50 feet culminating in a 55-foot throw at West Philly Nationals that makes him the No. 4 junior in New Jersey and the top Atlantic County underclassman in seven years.
Simeon surpassed 50 feet for the first time at Woodbury, placing 4th with a 51-3 ¾. He improved to 51-11 ½ when he won the Atlantic County title and 52-4 ¾ when he won Cape-Atlantic a few days later.
At sectionals, he placed 2nd to Southern’s Fabian Gonzalez – the West Philly Nationals discus champ and 3rd-place finisher in the shot – with another PR of 53-9. After taking 4th at states, he popped a huge PR of 55-3 ½ for 2nd place in the Rising Stars division of West Philly Nationals, finishing behind only Delsea rising junior Jonathan Harris, who PR’d at 58-4 ½. Simeon also placed 8th in the Meet of Champions with a 54-7.
Simeon finished No. 4 in South Jersey and No. 3 among underclassmen, behind Harris’s 58-4 ½ and Delsea’s Greg Masso’s 55-4 ¾. He was the No. 4 junior in the state [behind Josh Huisman of St. Rose, 64-7 ¾], Jack Small of Old Tappan [56-10] and Masso [55-4 ¾] and No. 7 underclassman overall.
He’s also the top returner in Group 4 and the top junior from Atlantic County since Meet of Champions javelin champ Cade Antonucci of Holy Spirit threw 56-11 as a junior in 2016.
EHT has quite a shot put history, and Simeon looks like the 6th 55-foot thrower that Egg Harbor has produced.
61-4 … Kofi Yamoah [2012]
58-0 … James Plummer [2013]
56-0 ¾ … James Mahana [2022]
55-3 ¾ … Curtis Fitzpatrick [2012]
55-3 ½ … Mike Simeon [2023]
55-2 … Malcolm Lee [2015]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 