By Brittany Weaver – Collinsville High School senior

Senior Martinus Mitchell shows the potential to be “a conference champion, if not an All-American” during his time at Collinsville High School, shot and discus coach, Chad Burgess said.

Martinus Mitchell – Collinsville High School shot put record holder and February Character Student of the Month

Mitchell threw the shot put 60 feet 10 inches on March 22 in Charleston, Ill, the farthest throw in the state this year and good for 14th best in the country. He also won the Illinois Prep Top Times event on March 29. The event is considered the unofficial indoor state championship. He secured the victory with his final throw, good for 57-8.

Those throws shattered the indoor school record and would be good enough for the outdoor school record of 57-5 ¾. The outdoor record was set in 1971 by Bernard Birger. Altogether, Martinus Mitchell broke five indoor school records this season and will be looking to break Birger’s mark now that the outdoor season has started.

Mitchell has won all but one meet he competed in this season. Even in the meet he did not win, his throw was good enough for 6th best in CHS history and 2nd best at the meet.

“Because of all the hard work I’ve put into track, and the camps I’ve attended, I figured I would be better this year,” Mitchell said. “My technique was better and I got a lot stronger.”

Mitchell says his interest in the event came from when he was younger. “When I was little, watching Christian Cantwell on TV made me wanna do it,” said Mitchell.

However, 340-pound Olympian and World Champion American shot putter Christian Cantwell has the typical body type of a shot putter, unlike Martinus Mitchell, who stands 6-foot-6 and weighs about 100 pounds less than Cantwell during his prime.

“He’s very tall,” said Coach Burgess. “[He] has really long arms, which helps with the shot put and disc.”

Mitchell’s mother has been instrumental during his 10-year throwing career.

“She’s been taking me to camps,” said Mitchell. “She’s been there supporting me since I was little.”

Mitchell does more than throw the shot put and discus great lengths. He also recently won a CHS character award for “be trustworthy.”

“A lot of people are looking at me as an individual,” Mitchell said. “How I support a lot of people, how I do hard work — it means a lot to me.”

“He’s quiet and doesn’t talk back,” Burgess said. “He works really hard.”

Mitchell was also a second-team All-Conference offensive tackle for the football Kahoks.

He will be attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the fall to major in business and marketing, and to continue his shot put career.