Boys Track and Field: ‘He had the last word’: On last throw, Yorkville’s Kyle Clabough wins second state shot put title

Yorkville’s Kyle Clabough placed first in the Class 3A Shot Put State Finals. Saturday, May 28, 2022, in Charleston.

CHARLESTON – Standing near the discus cage, away from the rest of the competitors and fans, Yorkville senior Kyle Clabough kept pacing back and forth to prepare for his final shot put attempts in the Class 3A state track and field meet on Saturday morning.

Clabough entered the meet as one of the favorites after winning the shot put title last season.

But the Wisconsin recruit admitted his last state meet had a different feel, especially after St. Charles North’s Paolo Gennarelli put some pressure on him with an excellent showing. So instead of following his normal routine of talking to his coaches or other nearby attendees, Clabough sought a quiet area.

“I was trying to be more focused because yesterday in the preliminaries, I was talking more,” Clabough said. “I knew I had the power to make a good throw on the first one, but the second one I let the nerves get to me. I knew I had to do it on my third throw. I didn’t want to be distracted on my last throw. I wanted to be laser-focused, and wanted to be locked in. I’m usually more talkative, but I knew I had to lock in for my final three throws.”

Yorkville first-year coach Matt Rodewald said he noticed a change in Clabough’s mental approach during Saturday’s finals.

“I felt like something special was brewing because he’s usually very talkative between throws,” Rodewald said. “There was a time when he drifted away from everyone. I think he wanted to lock in one time to see what he could do. He got the full experience. Kyle just happened to have the last laugh and the last throw. He had the last word.”

On his final high school attempt, Clabough captured his second straight state championship in the shot put with a winning toss of 18.74 meters. Gennarelli claimed second with a top throw of 18.14.

A year ago, Clabough won the title with a top attempt of 18.76 meters.

“I’m very proud that I was able to accomplish this; when I was first started off throwing, I was just OK,” Clabough said. “My goal was to be a state champion, and I ended up winning it twice. I’m pretty happy about it. I was decent as a freshman, learned the spin and bulked up my junior year. I want to thank all the coaches for helping me and my family.”

Batavia’s Jonah Fallon and Yorkville’s Josh Pugh compete in the 400 meter dash during the IHSA Class 3A State Track and Field Championships Saturday, May 28, 2022, at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.

At 6-foot-2 and 275 pounds, Clabough said he gained 60 pounds since his sophomore season. He admitted winning his second title was more difficult than winning it last season.

“It was a big relief,” he said. “It wasn’t quite the distance I was looking for, but I’m a two-time state champ. I was nervous but confident. In my last practice before state, I was competing against my coach and was down to my last throw and had to hit one, and he got one to beat me. This was the exact thing here, so it was cool I had prepared for it.”

Clabough is the first two-time individual state champion in program history, and only the second overall first-place winner. Dave Cox won a Class A state title in the 300 hurdles in 1986.

“This is a lot different than last season because I had to face a lot more adversity,“ Clabough said. “Paulo got the lead on his first preliminary throw. I had an OK day considering the situation and was good enough to win.”

Rodewald said Clabough cemented his legacy as one of the best athletes in Yorkville High School history.

“Kyle is one of those guys who understood and realized it’s difficult to repeat the experiences of the past,” Rodewald said. “He struggled throughout a lot of the year, mainly due to the level of expectation that he had. But it came down to this weekend. I kept telling him that it’s not about getting better, but about winning. Champions rise up in the most dramatic occasion, and he did it on his last throw.”

Oswego’s Caleb Wright competes in the Class 3A Triple Jump State Finals. Saturday, May 28, 2022, in Charleston.

The Foxes also added another medal, when Josh Pugh finished in third place in the 400 dash in a time of 48.86. He broke his own school record that he previously set at conference.

Oswego senior Caleb Wright, a Wisconsin-Oshkosh recruit, had a unique end to his career. After placing fourth in the long jump and triple jump last season, Wright went back to state and took fifth in both events on May 28.

“I felt really good going in, but I was going out to do the best I could and didn’t really set any goals,” Wright said. “I was going for the state championship, but maybe it was a bit of wear and tear, and a lot of jumps.”

Oswego’s Christian Sobecki placed fourth in the pole vault (4.55 meters), Balin Doud took fifth in the 1,600 (4:12.47), and teammate Ethan Forsell notched seventh in the 3,200 (9:12). Oswego’s 4x800-meter relay team added an eighth-place medal in a time of 7:58.