Maine boys shot put is a sport where the throw goes between 35 and 60 feet, the unit of progress is a quarter inch, and one bad release ruins a Saturday. It is also, as of mid May, the most crowded leaderboard in the state.
Three throwers. Two and a half feet between them. One state meet on the calendar.
At the top: Jake Bassi of Bangor. April 22, Brewer Meet 1. Fifty three feet, eight and three quarter inches. That is a throw that may win New England regionals in some years. It is one round of one meet for Bassi so far. There is no second mark in the data yet. He threw it once and walked off and Maine has been chasing it for three weeks.
Second: Rocco Deschambault of Cheverus and Waynflete. Fifty one feet, ten inches. Two meets, slow build into the season. He has not had his Bassi moment yet and he is one foot ten under it. That is closer than it looks.
Third: William Fagan of York. Fifty one feet, two inches. Fagan is the multi-event threat in this group. The same week he hit his shot mark he won the discus at 137 feet 8 and the javelin at 139 feet 4 at the York Throwers Only meet. He throws all three. He wins all three. If we are scoring this on versatility, Fagan is the answer.
After those three the next nearest shot putter is at 48 feet 4 inches (Emmett Milliken, Camden Hills). The gap between the trio and the rest of the state is real. Two and a half feet at the very top. Almost four feet to fourth place.
That is a state meet final that is going to come down to one throw, probably one bad release, and someone will be very mad about it for a long time.
We will be watching. The medal stand is set up for blood pressure.