Breaks record in outstanding start to season
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE—Evansville shot putter Joseph Maxwell has had an outstanding start to the 2019 indoor track and field season at the University of Tennessee, posting two first place finishes in the first two meets of the year, breaking one record and setting one personal best mark so far this season.
Mr. Maxwell, a junior at the University of Tennessee, hurled a shot 18.75 metres (61 feet, 6.25 inches) to attain the best mark in the history of the Tennessee-Indiana Duals on January 5. His meet-record toss in the men’s shot put was good for the third-best mark in the US this season.
Then, at the University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazer Invite, Mr. Maxwell posted his second straight shot put win, finishing first with a mark of 18.22 metres (59 feet, 9.5 inches).
“Joseph has started the season on a good note,” acknowledged his father Steve on Monday. “The season is divided into the indoor portion, which started just after Christmas, and then the outdoor season will start later.”
In the Tennessee-Indiana Duals, “Joseph’s mark was the furthest he has ever thrown indoors,” said Steve Maxwell. “He’s certainly happy with the way the season has started. When you place first in a competition it helps earn points for the school team. And there were a couple of competitors in the event from (the University of) Indiana who had beat Joseph previously, quite handily.”
Joseph is in his third year at the University of Tennessee. His father explained Joseph spent last summer at home in Evansville. “He continued his training over the summer; a lot of athletes don’t. So he was already in shape and ready to go when the season started.” Joseph also put on some weight and Steve said this was due, “to that great Manitoulin Island beef. I had a freezer full of beef when Joseph got home and I barely have any now,” he quipped.
The elder Mr. Maxwell said that, “one thing that is surprising to me is how much these athletes travel. I know Joseph travels to competitions, but I’m surprised at how much they do travel. It has to be challenging for all the athletes. This year, Joseph’s team has already been in a couple of competitions and meets.” But even with all this travel and competition, he said Joseph’s school grade point average in his courses is “getting considerably higher as time goes on.”
