STATE CHAMP: Flagler Palm Coast's Colby Cronk wins state shot put championship and places second in discus

Cronk's winning throw was tops among all classifications and ranks 10th all-time in Florida's record books.

By Michele Meyers
| 12:46 p.m. May 23, 2024

FPC athlete Colby Cronk wins the 4A State Championship track and field meet in shot put with a 19.22 meter throw. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC thrower Maya Tyson (left) supports teammate Colby Cronk (right) during the boys shot put event at the 4A State Championship track and field meet in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC's Maya Tyson puts on a game face before her first throw in the girls' discus during the 4A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC junior Maya Tyson participates in her third 4A State Championship track and field meet. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC's Colby Cronk throws for gold in the shot put event at the 4A State Championship track and field meet held at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC's Colby Cronk starts his rotational shot at the 4A State Championship track and field meet held at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

Colby Cronk (right) celebrates his winning shot put throw of 19.22 meters at the 4A State Championship track and field meet held at UNF's Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

Shot put podium winners (left to right) - Kurt Moses, Anthwone Montgomery, Shaquille Young, Colby Cronk, Diego De Pina, Damon McMillian, Jadon Frick, Nathaniel Krider. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC's Ari Slaughter (center) fights to pass the competition in the 4x800 meter relay during the 4A State Championship track and field meet held at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC's Evan Williams (2995) waits with the 4x800 meter relay teams at the 4A State Championship track and field meet held at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC's Jacob Stevenson launches the javelin in his first attempt during the 4A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC's Kamron Davis (left) fights Vero Beach down the home stretch in the 4x800 meter relay at the 4A State Championship track and field meet held at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC thrower Zeli Hayworth watches where his javelin lands at the 4A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC's Chase Magee successfully clears 3.90 meters in the pole vault event at the 4A State Championship track and field meet at UNF's Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Mivhele Meyers

FPC shot putter Maya Tyson gets in position to throw at the 4A State Championship track and field meet held at UNF's Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC's Tanner Cauley-Bennett successfully clears 3.90 meters in the pole vault event at the 4A State Championship track and field meet at UNF's Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Mivhele Meyers

Summer Barnes (back, right) runs the anchor leg for FPC's 4x100 meter relay team at the 4A State Championship track and field meet at Hodge's Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC senior Elijah Thero launches the javelin 53.60 meters for seventh place at the 4A State Championship track and field meet held at UNF's Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

Colby Cronk throws the discus 56.06 meters to take second place for FPC at the 4A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo by Michele Meyers

FPC senior Zeli Hayworth finishes eighth in the javelin at the 4A State Championship track and field meet at Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville. Photo. by Michele Meyers

Palm Coast Observer
Sports

Flagler Palm Coast junior Colby Cronk grabbed the gold in shot put and silver in discus at the Class 4A state track and field championship on May 18 at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

The North Carolina State University football commit threw the shot put 19.22 meters (63 feet, .75 inches) to break his own school record. The distance was also the best in the state for all classifications this year and the 10th best all-time in Florida high school track and field. The nine throwers ranked ahead of him were all seniors, so Cronk has another year to move up in the record book.

“This is Colby’s first time really being on a big stage, so he definitely showed up,” FPC head track and field coach David Halliday said. “If he stays, I think one of the goals will be to become the number one shot putter in the history of Florida. He’s just scratching the surface of the technical aspect.”

Cronk took the lead in the discus event with a first throw of 56.06 meters (183 feet, 11 inches), beating his personal record of 50.93 by nearly six meters. He held the lead until Jason Atwood of Tallahassee Chiles threw 57.36 meters (188 feet, 2 inches) on his third attempt and then sealed the title with 59.67 meters (195 feet, 9 inches) on his final throw.

“At first I thought, wait, wait a minute, I have a shot here (to win discus),” Cronk said. “I was holding on to the lead for two attempts. I wanted gold (in shot put) and gold (in discus), but I’m happy with gold and silver. It was a pretty big PR.”

Cronk said he has always prioritized shot put because he has been throwing the shot since his freshman year. He admitted he was not that great at discus and got more serious about the event this year. He attributes his success in both events to his throwing coach Paul Spegele, who ran Cronk through situational scenarios prior to the state meet.

At first I thought, wait, wait a minute, I have a shot here (to win discus). I was holding on to the lead for two attempts. I wanted gold (in shot put) and gold (in discus), but I’m happy with gold and silver. It was a pretty big PR.
— COLBY CRONK

“That’s what happened today,” Cronk said. “Somebody threw a 16.6 (in shot put) and I had to go after it. I think it works. My coach made a really big difference. He’s been doing it for a long time and knows what he’s doing. He’s a really good dude too.”

Halliday said in the 20 years he has been with FPC, the team has always had qualifiers at the state championships. This year, 10 girls and 10 boys qualified. The boys finished eighth in the team standings, with all 21 of their points accrued in the field events.

Both javelin throwers, Elijah Thero and Zeli Hayworth, told Halliday they could have done better. Thero finished seventh with a throw of 53.60 meters (175 feet, 10 inches) just ahead of teammate Levi Hayworth who finished eighth with a 53.17 (174 feet, 5 inches).

“I needed to have more fun out there because when you take it too seriously, you get tense,” Hayworth said. “You want to be loose. I put the pressure on myself — nobody else did.”

Hayworth was the runner-up at the Class 3A state championships for Seabreeze last year with a 55.14 (180 feet, 11 inches). He returned to FPC for his senior year.

Hayworth has received a track and field scholarship from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He has his pilot’s license and will major in aviation business.

“I think we have the best developed team,” he said about FPC. “I’ve gone from 30 (meters) in my freshman year to in the 50s. This was definitely the right place to end my (high school) career — with FPC, Coach Halliday and my teammates. (It’s) not where I wanted to place, but I have a new beginning coming.”

FPC qualified athletes in seven field events and three running events. Pole vaulters Chase Magee (a senior) and junior Tanner Cauley-Bennett, finished 12th and 13th, respectively, each vaulting 3.90 meters.

Sophomore Karina Marcelus placed 11th in girls triple jump with a leap of 11.19 meters (36 feet, 8.5 inches), and senior Olivia Gaines was one inch behind her in 12th.

In her third appearance at state, Maya Tyson finished 14th in both shot put with a 10.89-meter throw (35 feet, 8.75 inches) and discus with a 33.31-meter throw (109 feet, 3 inches).

Aun’Yale Howard, Gaines, Jada Dotson and Summer Barnes finished 14th in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 48.69 seconds.

The girls 4x800 meter relay lineup of Bella Tarsitano, Cassidy De Young, Madison Lagarde and Ari Slaughter ran a 9:49.22 for 17th place, while the boys 4x800 meter relay crew of Evan Williams, Ayden Peterson, Tyler Jones-Bock and Kamron Davis placed 12th in 8:09.80.

Halliday said this year was one of the larger groups of boys and girls to qualify for state.

Some of the Bulldogs were disappointed with their results, he said. The day after after the meet, he sent an email to the athletes and their parents reminding them that they were among the 16 best athletes in their events. He said he wants them to reflect on how many hundreds or thousands of people they had to beat to get to state, no matter where they placed.

“I feel like our coaches are really good technically, but we really try to pour a lot into our kids to be good people and to truly know that we have their backs,” Halliday said. “I think once they know that authenticity piece, it’s just different from most other programs, not just in the area but in the state. I think that’s what makes us different from almost any other team in track and field or any other sport.”