In his 4th meet throwing the college discus, Cinnaminson’s Malicah Etienne shattered the Georgian Court school record.
Etienne placed 2nd in the discus Wednesday at the Shippensburg University Midweek Invite with a throw of 169-5. East Stroudsburg junior Cole Gorham threw 169-10 to win by five inches.
The previous Georgian Court school record was 162-0 by Joseph Kass of Governor Thomas Johnson High in Frederick, Md., at the 2017 Osprey Open and Multi meet at Stockton University in Galloway Township.
Etienne had a high school PR of 177-4 with the 3.5-pound disc but has improved rapidly with the 4.4-pound international implement, from a 135-4 in his first outdoor meet a month ago to 157-8 in a meet at Monmouth three weeks ago and now a nearly eight-foot school record just four weeks after first throwing the college disc.
Etienne’s 169-5 is best this year in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and No. 22 this spring in NCAA Division 2 and No. 5 among freshmen.
His throw is the best in at least 25 years by a South Jersey college freshman. The last few discus throwers from South Jersey who threw as far as 169-5 in college – Paulsboro’s Jon Kalnas, Mainland’s John Mooers, Collingswood’s Adam Hunt, all at Rutgers – didn’t come anywhere close to 169-5 as college freshmen.
Year-by-year results by other South Jersey throwers – such as Holy Spirit’s Mike Mielke, Kennedy’s Steve Muse or Paulsboro’s Jon Kalnas – are impossible to find.
Etienne threw 53-9 ¼ indoors in the shot, which is No. 3 in school history. His top shot put so far this spring is 49-7 ¾.
On Wednesday, Etienne opened with a 147-6 before hitting the 169-5 on his 2nd attempt. He hit 160-8 on his 3rd throw and then finished with 156-7, 161-5 and 156-1 in the finals.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 