McDonald breaks SSHS 1990s records

GREAT FALLS - Seeley-Swan Blackhawk junior Walker McDonald broke school records in both the Discus and Shot Put at the Fairfield Belt Invite May 1.

McDonald shattered Christian Jette's 1992 record by 7 feet 7 inches with a throw of 163 feet 10 inches. His shot put throw of 50 feet 10 inches was one inch farther than Barry Deleo's 1990 record throw.

"This has always been a goal of mine since I started track [at Seeley-Swan]," said McDonald. "I first realized that the records were actually in reach at the beginning of this year."

Seeley-Swan Throwing Coach Kal Kovatch credited McDonald's success to his willingness to take constructive criticism and to break habits and learn new ones.

"Throwing events are technical and to do well isn't always a joyride. It's hard to hear your coach tell you you're not going to PR (personal record) for a couple of weeks while you work on technique to improve future throws," said Kovatch. "Walker's improvement comes from being challenged and him accepting these challenges."

McDonald's next goal is to win the Class C State meet in Shot Put and Discus. This new goal is certainly in reach. He is currently ranked number one in the state in both events across all classes from C through AA.