Jeremiah Nubbe is Washington's new discus record-holder. And everything he touches turns to gold.
Rainier track coach Josh Frunz has a box of old vinyl records in his school office that he only pulls out for a special occasion: when an athletic record is broken, the athlete commemorates the achievement by snapping an actual vinyl.
Jeremiah Nubbe's album of choice last week after breaking Washington's all-time discus throw? Kenny Rogers' 1979 release, "Kenny."
"I hated to see it go, but thought it was time," said Frunz, who previously held the school record until Nubbe broke it. "We'd been saving that one for awhile."
The state record marked the latest achievement for Nubbe, a University of Texas pledge and the national leader in the discus for the 2022 outdoor track & field season.
His season-opening mark of 205-feet, 2 inches was the nation's top throw, two inches ahead of Brett Schwartz of Santa Fe Trail High School in Kansas and more than seven feet ahead of the third best mark.
And his 207-4 on Thursday at a league meet at WIAA Class 2B Onalaska didn't just put him 21 feet, eight inches ahead of the next best mark this season in the state of Washington. It also broke Vinnie Pecht of West Valley of Spokane's previous record of 207-2, set in 1997.
Nubbe unwinds a discus throw during a meet at Napavine High School on March 31, 2022.
This came a week after he won the discus (202-2 1/4) and hammer (234-6 1/2) throws at the Oregon Relays at Eugene's Hayward Field on April 23.
Frunz isn't surprised that Nubbe has developed into arguably the nation's best high school discus thrower because that's not the only thing he knows him by.
Frunz sees Nubbe the valedictorian and 4.0 student, Nubbe the winner of a state championship as a metal fabricator as a part of Rainier's shop program and Nubbe as a mentor for younger throwers — in addition to an ever-growing list of track marks.
"The kid has worked his tail off for six years on the shot, the disc and the hammer and we’re really just seeing the fruits of his labor," Frunz said. "He’s extremely dedicated, intelligent and he applies all of that into his throw. It’s pretty amazing to watch."
On Thursday, Nubbe set personal bests in the shot put and javelin, and the attention of the entire meet turned to him as he broke the 25-year old state record.
Like many of the high school meets he competes in, Onalaska's discus ring was not designed for 200-foot-plus throwers, so the entire meet stopped and all eyes shifted his way when it was his time to throw.
He anticipated breaking the record earlier in the season and felt it was only a matter of time, as he had done it in warmups and practice throughout the season.
"He had some pretty good warmup throws and then he just cranked one," Frunz said. "A lot of days the attention's on him when he throws and it puts a lot of pressure on him."
But Nubbe embraces the pressure.
He's widely expected to win his second and third state championships at the 1B/2B/1A WIAA state track championship meet in Cheney on May 28.
He won the WIAA Class 2B state discus title as a freshman expected to win 2B titles. State track meets were not held his sophomore and junior seasons in the COVID-19 pandemic.
At school, Nubbe's state record was celebrated over the intercom. The vinyl ritual was performed in front of the team that day.
"The discus one was pretty special," Frunz said.
Here are the top five marks for each WIAA event as of Tuesday, May 3:
TOP 2022 WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL TRACK & FIELD MARKS
*marks set in the last week
100 METERS
10.63: Carter Birade, Sehome, sr.
10.67: Jacob Andrews, Sehome, jr.
10.73: Lyricc Lopez, Foster, sr.
10.74: Noah Barbery, Lewis and Clark, sr.
10.74: Will Floyd, Seattle Prep, jr.
200 METERS
21.38: Will Floyd, Seattle Prep, jr.*
21.51: Lyricc Lopez, Foster, sr.*
21.58: Noah Barbery, Lewis and Clark, sr.
21.87: Jacob Andrews, Sehome, jr.
21.89: Carter Birade, Sehome, sr.*
400 METERS
46.65: Lyricc Lopez, Foster, sr.*
47.22: Will Floyd, Seattle Prep, jr.*
47.37: Jacob Andrews, Sehome, jr.*
48.65: Trayce Hanks, Lake Stevens, sr.
48.68: Grant Buckmiller, Lake Stevens, jr.
800 METERS
1:52.33: Aiden Emerson, Arlington, sr.
1:53.79: Isaac Teeples, Kamiakin, sr.
1:54.35: Brando Moore, Arlington, sr.
1:54.81: Sam Jacobsen, Newport (Bellevue), sr.
1:54.82: Cooper Quigley, Selah, sr.
1,600 METERS
4:06.55: Aiden Emerson, Arlington, sr.
4:09.93: Isaac Teeples, Kamiakin, sr.
4:11.13: Sam Jacobsen, Newport (Bellevue), sr.*
4:11.80: Vincent Recupero, Bishop Blanchet, fr.*
4:11.88: Zach Munson, Sehome, jr.*
3,200 METERS
8:51.09: Ethan Coleman, Olympia, sr.
8:53.12: Zack Munson, Sehome, jr.
8:55.97: Isaac Teeples, Kamiakin, sr.
8:25.26: Grayson Wilcott, Kamiakin, sr.*
8:26.24: Brandon Moore, Arlington, sr.*
110 METER HURDLES
13.84: Andre Korbmacher, Squalicum, jr.
14.05: Jaylen McCabe, Silas, sr.
14.08: Carter Birade, Sehome, sr.
14.53: Asher Ogden, Emerald Ridge, sr.
14.69: Amado Toyo, Shorecrest, sr.
300 METER HURDLES
36.95: Lyricc Lopez, Foster, sr.
38.70: Amado Toyo, Shorecrest, sr.*
38.70: Amado Toyo, Shorecrest, sr.*
39.24: Jaylen McCabe, Silas, sr.
39.33: Parker Duskin, Arlington, sr.
4x100 RELAY
42.11: Spanaway Lake*
42.16: Silas*
42.16: Squalicum
42.55: Curtis*
42.92: Federal Way*
4x400 RELAY
3:23.06: Lake Stevens
3:24.99: Sehome
3:25.22: Squalicum
3:25.35: Arlington
3:28.63: Olympia*
SHOT PUT
57-3: Brayden Platt, Yelm, soph.*
56-0: Caden Hottman, Hermiston, sr.
55-8: Jeremiah Nubbe, Rainier, sr.*
54-10 1/2: Luka Vincic, Bothell, sr.*
54-2 3/4: Donaven Humphries, Tahoma, sr.*
DISCUS
207-4: Jeremiah Nubbe, Rainier, sr.*
185-8: Caden Hottman, Hermiston, sr.
164-4: Mason Moore, Wenatchee, sr.
162-8: Dash Sirmon, Walla Walla, sr.*
162-4: Donaven Humphries, Tahoma, sr.
JAVELIN
219-4: Dash Sirmon, Walla Walla, sr.*
195-6: Mark Schlichting, Ferndale, sr.
193-8: Andrew Nelson, Ferndale, sr.
192-1: Brayden Platt, Yelm, soph.
184-7: Cody Wheeler, Hockinson, sr.
HIGH JUMP
6-9: AJ Acoy McGlofin, Central Valley, sr.
6-6: Jackson Cluff, West Valley (Yakima), sr.
6-6: Aiden McCrystyle, Central Valley, fr.
6-5 1/4: Porter Wilhite, Lynden, jr.
6-5: Jamie Townsend Jr., sr.*
LONG JUMP
22-10: Carson Riner, Connell, sr.*
22-8: John Twedt, Bellingham, sr.*
22-7: Jackson Cluff, West Valley (Yakima), sr.
22-6: Jaylon Jenkins, Federal Way, jr.
TRIPLE JUMP
45-4: Jaylon Jenkins, Federal Way, jr.*
44-11 1/2: John Twedt, Bellingham, sr.*
44-10: Carson Riner, Connell, sr.*
44-10: Kael Probst, Gig Harbor, sr.
44-9 1/2: Emilio Vela, Wapato, sr.
POLE VAULT
14-7 Denny Fisher, Eastside Catholic, sr.*
14-6: Lakotah Henderson, Mead, sr.
14-6: Colton Slaybaugh, Pomeroy, sr.*
14-3: Alec Rust, Edmonds-Woodway, sr.*
14-0: Andrew Steinhart, North Central, sr.
(All marks courtesy of Athletic.net)
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