'It's something we're known for'

Some guys sure like throwing their weights around. This weekend, they're headed to the perfect place to show what they can do. The Rick Maag Ring of Champions will up its number of state qualifiers from 30 to 33 and, possibly, add a another name to its inner circle of champions with three Columbus Grove throwers competing Friday in the Division III state track and field meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus. Rick Maag's ability to develop top-notch shot put and discus throwers has become legendary. "For 30 straight years, Rick Maag has had a state qualifier in either the shot or the discus," said A.J. Schafer. "Our track program has a pretty good tradition." Schafer qualified for state in the discus, an event he gravitated to, he adds, because he couldn't beat out two other state qualifiers – teammates Tadd Koch and Lawson Maag – in the discus. A metal sign at the entrance to Clymer Stadium, with the shot put layout on one side and the discus area on the other, is titled Rick Maag's Ring of Champions. The number 30 at the bottom, not yet updated for 2022, is how many state qualifiers Grove has had in those events. The names and dates inside – Blake Maag 2001; Blaine Maag 2003, 2005, Cory Meulman (2006, 2007), Lyne'a Diller 2016 – list those that have won state championships. "My grandfather is Rick Maag, My dad, Ben Maag, and even uncles and others have contributed to this legacy at Grove," Lawson Maag said. "It is a lot of pressure on all of us. But I think it also motivates us and pushes us to be the best version of ourselves that we can be." "(Lawson Maag's) grandpa, his dad, those guys built a great legacy here," Koch said. "There's pressure on us to continue, but I love being part of that because I think it's awesome. It's something we're known for and I think that's kinda cool." This season, the "best versions" of those throwers have been posting some impressive marks. Among the 18 competitors in the shot, Schafer is seeded third in his heat and seventh overall with a throw of 56 feet, 6-3/4 inches. Koch (173-3) and Maag (167-6) have two of the top marks in their heat of the discus. The really big numbers at state this year are found in the first heat where Norwayne's Colby Morlack (192-5) and Dillon Morlock (185-6) and McDonald's Ryan Henry (187-6) and Dante Mediati (172-3) are highly seeded. Grove's throwers can expect stiff competition at the state meet. But it's nothing they haven't seen every day in practice. "We push each other," Koch said. "The thing about us is we have a great mind-set bout getting better every day." "I think it all starts with pure hard work," Maag said. "We're all about busting our butts every single day. We don't take off days, whether it's lifting or throwing … even if we have a break we come out here and do some drills." "It's definitely a huge advantage having those guys out there pushing you all the time," Schafer said. "Competition here gets pretty tough some times, but that's good for us." Grove's throwers weren't just facing competition in their own backyard. It seemed every big meet they got into, they were facing a guy from the other side of the county – Leipsic's Seth Apple – who was putting up some impressive marks of his own. "The NWC (Northwest Conference), the PCL (Putnam County League), the district the regional … we've seen him, I think, seven times this year," Koch said. "He's throwing in the 170s and that's great, because that pushed us to try to do better, too. I think we're ready for the competition at state because we're used to it at this point." A junior, like Maag, Koch and Schafer, Apple has had a break-out year throwing the discus. He threw a personal best 145 feet in Leipsic's first meet of the season, but was consistently in the mid-to-high 170s, including a 177-4 in winning the district title at Ada and a season-best of 178-1, later in the season. "I worked a lot in the offseason, lifting, working with my coach (Justin Carvalho)," Apple said. "I just started taking it more seriously." In a sport where progress is often measured in inches and fractions of a second, Apple's progress was meteoric. "Honestly, it was surprising. It was like I never stopped PR-ing," Apple said. "At the beginning of the season my best was, like, 145 (feet). That was my first meet, and then it just kept going up. I think I started figuring out the technique. I just got in the swing of things, I guess." Apple said going against Grove's group of elite throwers brought out the best in him. "I beat them sometimes. They best me sometimes," he said. "Going into those meets, you always knew the competition was going to be great." Hopewell-Loudon also features a strong thrower in Ryan Cook, a state qualifier in both the shot and discus. The wealth of outstanding throwers in this area is such that the top four finishers in the discus at the 18-team Ada District – Apple, Koch, Maag and Cook – were the same top four placers from a regional meet in Port Clinton that represented 55 schools. An interesting side effect of all that competition, though, is a shared camaraderie, especially as they head onto the biggest stage of the season. "I want to see these guys compete as well as they can," Maag said. "If I can push them, and they can push me to do better, I'm all right with that. Then everybody wins."