Persichetti can't quite match career best in shot put

ROUGHLY a month ago, Luke Persichetti received great news concerning his final season as La Salle High's top shot putter.

Alas, a sobering tidbit came tagging along.

While his career-best effort of 55 feet, 10 inches, would place him in the 119th Penn Relays' championship event, he'd enter the competition as the 22nd and final qualifier.

Gulp?

"I'm sure most people would be pretty intimidated by that," Persichetti said. "Being a Philly guy, I was just happy to be here and represent us. I took the approach, 'At least I'm in there and I'll try to do my best.' Most of all, I wanted to do better than my seed."

The shot put and other weight events are held in an area south of Franklin Field, right off the Schuylkill Expressway.

At Catholic League meets, often the number of people watching the shot put can be counted on two hands. Friday, there were, say, 250 spectators. Perhaps even more.

Though it would be cool to report that Persichetti thumped an 80-footer off the tree beyond the landing area and headed home with a gold medal, the reality was this: None of his three hoists in the first flight of competitors matched his career best.

In order, he managed 50-9, 49-1 and 52-10, and that last number did not advance him to the final round.

Among the disappointed? A kid wearing a T-shirt repping La Salle's chief rival, St. Joseph's Prep.

"I hate La Salle kids," Dave Hanley said with a laugh, while awaiting Persichetti's final throw. "But I know Luke a little, and he's a great guy. I'd love to see him do well. I'd like to see him hit 17 [meters; almost 56 feet]. I do know this: No way he'll finish last."

Those Hawks are smart. Persichetti indeed did not limp home in 22nd place. He finished 17th.

"I had a couple warmups that were around 17 meters," Persichetti said. "Unfortunately, I couldn't pull them out in my three regular throws. But I'm happy with my performance, because I definitely wanted to do better than my seed. Now I'll be gearing everything toward the Catholic League and districts and states."

At 6-foot, 230 pounds, Persichetti, a second-team All-City football honoree for his exploits on the offensive line, was shorter and/or lighter than pretty much every competitor. The winner, Braheme Days Jr. (67-8), of South Jersey's Bridgeton High, was a beast.

Luke and a half-dozen supporters, including family members, stayed around to watch the second flight. They were perched on an incline no more than 20 feet from the circle, and an eyebrow or three was raised.

"I'd seen video of [Days] on YouTube," Persichetti said. "But to see him in person . . . Wow. To see a kid that big with such speed, it's amazing."

Luke then pointed out that most of the top performers were spinners, as in they spun around the circle before cutting loose. He's a glider, as in he begins at the back of the circle and takes one long glide before reaching the moment of release.

"Maybe the best thing I can say," he noted with a smile, "is that I need to learn how to spin."

Persichetti's next stop will be Yale, and the academic whiz intends to major in economics. His sporting agenda will definitely include the shot put, and it's possible he'll try the grid thing as a walk-on.

"Football's my first love," the Blue Bell resident acknowledged. "There's just something special about the team bonding. You can't replicate that in any other sport.

"Track's a lot different. It's all about the individual accomplishments. It all comes down to your best throw. Nothing else factors in."

This weekend will feature six field events for high schoolers. Persichetti was the lone Public/Catholic/Inter-Ac performer in Friday's trio (also discus and javelin), and Malvern Prep's Eric Purnell (long jump) will be the lone city leagues' guy in Saturday's four-pack (also high jump, triple jump and pole vault).

Purnell will be the 17th of 23 seeds.

Let the battle for bragging rights intensify!