O-R Athlete of the Week: Myckel Brown, Washington

Name: Myckel Brown
School: Washington
Class: Senior
Sport: Track & Field
Brown’s week: Brown set a personal best and won the WPIAL Class AA gold in the shot put with a toss of 49-11 1/2. The throw was slightly more than three feet better than the second-place finisher.
It was the fourth consecutive event that Brown, who only began competing in the shot put last year, broke his personal record. It also served as redemption from a season ago at the individual championships at Baldwin.
“I came in last year in the fourth or fifth (position),” Brown said. “I got hurt and didn’t do well, missing out on qualifying. Every meet this year, I’ve been going in with the same attitude of trying to win.”
Joining Brown at the PIAA Track & Field Championships, which run Friday and Saturday at Shippensburg University, will be teammates Isaiah Schoonmaker (javelin) and Saffron Crowe (triple jump).
Schoonmaker placed third in the Class AA boys’ javelin with a throw of 158-10. Crowe finished in third place in the Class AA girls’ triple jump with a distance of 35-0 1/4.
Brown, who hasn’t reached 50 feet in any meet, admitted that was a necessary goal if he wanted to do well at states.
As good as gold: Last week wasn’t the first time Brown earned a title over the past year. He was a key part on the Washington High School football team’s run to a WPIAL Class 2A Football Championship in November.
Brown, a Wheeling Jesuit recruit, played on the offensive and defensive lines for the Prexies.
“I got another one,” Brown joked after stepping down from the medal stand.
“It’s fun. It’s the first time I’ve been top 3 in the WPIAL. It’s the first time I’m qualifying for states.”
Class dismissed: The decision for Brown to compete in shot put wasn’t necessarily a fascination with the particular event.
Instead, as a junior, Brown figured it was just another chance to spend time with his friends and a regular escape from the final classes of the day.
“I really liked how much (the track team) left school,” Brown chuckled. “I didn’t expect this to happen. I was just wanting to be with my friends. I’m going to go into states confident and even if I lose I’m still going to do my best.”