ESPN RISE

Paul Buccino isn't embarrassed. The Morristown (N.J.) track and field head coach freely admits he's learning as he goes.

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ESPN RISE Magazine

Cover boy Nick Vena is only a sophomore and already owns several record and national titles.

Yes, Buccino acknowledges, he does very little coaching when it comes to Nick Vena. In fact, Vena is so advanced with the shot put, he's usually the one doing the teaching.

"We've got throwing coaches for the winter season and the spring season, in addition to myself," says Buccino. "But Nick knows what he's doing better than any of us."

The Morristown coaches aren't alone -- Vena is teaching everyone the art of the shot put. An event that used to be contested off in the corner with little fanfare has now become one of the glamour competitions when Vena is involved.

In New Jersey, the shot put is now the main event.

"It seems like there's a lot more people watching now," says Vena, who is only a sophomore. "The crowds are getting bigger."

The rock star status stems from the instant success Vena had last year. The lefty giant won state titles at the indoor and outdoor Meet of Champions, and before the year was over, he had emerged as the best in the country.

He made national headlines when he broke the U.S. freshman record, recording a distance of 61 feet, 1.5 inches at the indoor Morris County Relays. That beat the previous mark of 60 feet, set by Oklahoma native Kevin Bookout in 1999, but Vena wasn't done.

By the end of the winter he had reset the record multiple times, and he finished by going farther than he'd ever imagined: At the National Scholastic Indoor Championships, he launched a throw of 66-7.25. It was the longest distance by any high schooler during the winter season. The spring schedule brought more of the same. At the outdoor Morris County Relays he hit a season-best 67-10.25, and Vena capped his remarkable freshman campaign with a throw of 65-3.5 at the outdoor Meet of Champions to win his second state championship.

"Going into my freshman year, I wasn't really thinking about any records or national titles or anything like that," Vena says. "I was thinking maybe I could get up to 61, 62 feet. I surprised myself with how far I was able to get the ball. I definitely wasn't thinking of hitting 67 as a freshman."

When all was said and done, Vena's debut was unprecedented, and he was selected as the Gatorade State Boys' Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

"I've never seen a freshman accomplish what he accomplished, in any event," says Buccino. "To win back-to-back Meet of Champions, the Eastern Relays, the national title, everything -- I can't imagine anyone doing that as a freshman."

In less than two years, Vena has transformed his sport. And having just turned 16 years old, he is still a puppy in terms of his development.

"I'm getting bigger," Vena says. "And I can get stronger. That natural strength will help my distance."

That's a scary thought considering everything Vena has already accomplished. But it's true -- he entered Morristown as a 6-foot-3, 240-pounder, and he's already up to 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds of solid muscle. Doctors have told him he might have another two inches of growing to do, but Vena expects improvement in his technique to produce more distance than any increase in size. He's been working on his mechanics since age 8, when his father started showing him the proper way to grip the shot.

Vic Vena competed in the shot put as a high schooler, and his interest in the event stayed with him as an adult. When Nick showed a natural aptitude for throwing, Vic began teaching him more advanced techniques. While most high schoolers use a rudimentary "glide" style, Nick learned the "spin" method (practiced by most collegians and Olympians) when he was 12.

Vena dominated the youth ranks, winning multiple meets and breaking the state record for bantams as a fourth-grader. In middle school, he began working with former USA throwing coach (and current Rutgers throws coach) Tony Naclerio, and by the time he reached eighth grade, Vena was consistently going over 50 feet.

Now, after setting the bar so high as a freshman, Vena is committed to going further. He won another Meet of Champions crown in February and recorded a personal best of 72-2.5 while setting a new Penn Relays record in April. He now holds the national record for sophomores as well.

Vena says one of his biggest adjustments from year to year has been performing in front of the large crowds that are now drawn to the shot put. He estimates the biggest crowd he threw in front of before last year was about 30 people. At the spring 2008 Meet of Champions, the shot put drew more than 500 spectators.

"I had to learn how to control myself and get used to all the people," Vena says. "Every indoor meet had a big crowd this year, and it's slowly starting to agree with me. Once I started getting more comfortable with it, it was easier to focus on my throws."

Now that he's passed the 70-foot barrier, the next step in Vena's ascension may be the magical mark of 81-3.5. That's the overall national high school record, set by Olympic medal winner (and former NFL player) Michael Carter in 1979. No one has come within five feet of Carter's throw in the past 30 years, but Vena's amazing start has the track world buzzing.

"It's one of the toughest records ever," Vena says. "Eighty-one feet, three inches is pretty far. I have a while before I have to worry about that. I can't focus my training on that -- if it comes, it comes. But it would be a pretty incredible throw."

If Vena starts approaching that mark, the excitement and the crowds will only increase. Good thing he's already learned to deal with it.

Mike Grimala covers high school sports for ESPN RISE Magazine.