Glassboro senior Damere Lassiter popped the No. 2 shot put in the state this year Monday night at the Bubble.
No series information again – thanks again, Bubble! – but Lassiter threw 58-3 at the South Jersey Track Association meet.
Lassiter had a PR of 54-11 last spring at Group 1 states at Franklin but has now thrown 56 or better in four of his last five meets – a PR 56-2 ½ at state relays two weeks ago, 56-11 at both the Cherokee Throwdown and Olympic and Tri-County meet last week and now a 58-3.
That’s the No. 1 performance by a South Jersey thrower this year and No. 1 among public school throwers. Joshua Huisman of St. Rose High in Belmar threw 63-10 at the Monmouth County Championships last week, also at the Bubble.
Lassiter’s throw is No. 19 in South Jersey history and No. 6 on the all-time Gloucester County list. It’s best by any New Jersey Group 1 thrower since Guivanni Gutierrez threw 59-8 ½ at the 2017 Meet of Champions at the Bubble. And it’s the best by a South Jersey Group 1 thrower in 54 years, since Pitman junior Harry Dilks threw 60-3 in 1970 at a Philadelphia Department of Recreation meet at the Civic Center.
Lassiter is now No. 24 nationally, according to the MileSplit U.S. database.
Lassiter threw 184-8 in the discus last year, which made him the No. 12 junior in the country and No. 8 in South Jersey history. He’s now the 11th South Jersey thrower in history to hit 58 feet in the shot and 180 feet in the disc:
Russ Willett [Penns Grove], 59-7, 185-10 [1985]
Ray Wilks [Bridgeton], 64-5, 189-7 [1995]
Ron Dayne, [Overbrook], 64-6 ¼ 198-0 [1995-96]
Howard Clark [Pennsauken], 58-11 ½, 180-3 [1998]
Matt Huckabee [Timber Creek], 61-2 ½, 185-7 [2010]
Braheme Days Jr., [Bridgeton], 68-8 ½, 199-6 [2012-13]
James Plummer [Egg Harbor Township], 58-10, 197-0 ¼ [2013]
Josh Awotunde [Delsea], 61-6, 192-5 [2013]
Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 61-11 ¾, 185-6 [2018]
Jason Nwosu [Delsea], 63-2 ½, 183-9 [2022]
Damere Lassiter [Glassboro], 58-3, 184-8 [2023-24]
70-8 … Braheme Days Jr. [Bridgeton], 2012
63-11 … Ray Wilks [Bridgeton], 1995
63-1 ¾ … Nick Pulli [West Deptford], 2014
61-9 … Lou Gordon [Bridgeton], 1995
62-7 ¾ … Kamron Kobolak [Cinnaminson], 2018
62-0 ½ … Jason Nwosu [Delsea], 2022
60-3 … Harry Dilks [Pitman], 1971
60-10 ¾ … John Purvis [Winslow Twp.], 2020
60-0 ½ … Ell Ash [Willingboro], 2004
59-9 … Kofi Yamoah [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
59-8 … Chris Robinson [Penns Grove], 1990
59-0 … Chris Bolden [Edgewood], 1990
58-10 … James Plummer [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
58-9 ½ … Dave Dixon [Mainland Reg.], 1987
58-9 … Greg Ross [Deptford], 1976
58-8 ¾ … Bill Goldsborough [Delsea], 2018
58-5 … Kareem McKenzie [Willingboro], 1997
58-4 ½ .. .Curtis Fitzpatrick [Egg Harbor Twp.], 2013
58-3 … Damere Lassiter [Glassboro], 2024
57-11 … Tavaris Wright [Bridgeton], 2004
57-11 … Kwabena Keene [Washington Twp], 2008
57-10 ½ … Gerald Williams [Rancocas Valley], 2000
57-10-½ … Matthew Huckabee [Timber Creek], 2010
57-9 ½ … Rich Lewis [Williamstown], 1985
57-9 ½ … Dontaye Rivera [Pleasantville], 2011
57-9 … Cade Antonucci [Holy Spirit], 2016
57-8 ½ … John Purvis [Winslow Twp.], 2020
57-8 1/4 … Josh Awotunde [Delsea], 2013
57-5 … Joe Metzger [Delsea], 2021
57-3 ½ … Ron Dayne [Overbrook], 1996
57-2 ¾ … Tati White [Willingboro], 1994
57-2 ½ … Gil Winters [Willingboro], 1990
57-0 … Terrin Walker [Bridgeton], 1996
56-11 … Nate Karl [Hammonton], 2020
56-10 ¼ … Anthony Liakhnovich [Hammonton], 2024
56-5 ¼ … Chris Pressley [Woodbury], 2003
56-2 ¾ … Jonathan Harris [Delsea], 2024
56-1 … Shawn Brady [Bishop Eustace], 2024
55-11 … Russ Willett [Penns Grove], 1985
55-9 ½ … Warren DeShields [Bridgeton], 1991
55-8 … Gabriel Wilkins [Absegami], 2024
55-7 ½ … Phil Hatfield [Bishop Eustace], 1995
55-6 … Charles Anderson [Edgewood], 1984
55-6 … Keith Geiger [Middle Twp.], 1998
55-6 … Greg Masso [Delsea], 2024
55-4 ¾ … Ryan Knight [Delsea], 1996
55-3 ½ … Steve Hansen [Holy Spirit], 1982
55-1 … Nigel Walker [Willingboro], 1996
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 