STATE TRACK MEET 2018
It has been 90 years since Newton Daniels captured the very first state track meet gold medal in Rockdale High School history.
The senior hurled the discus 140-feet, which could still earn you some hardware even today.
Tiger Tales sports editor Louis Rinn called Daniels “the most outstanding athlete Rockdale High ever produced.”
With his appearance at the 107th UIL state track meet Friday, Tyler Lehmkuhl joins an impressive list of Rockdale weight-men throughout the years.
Of the 15 individual gold medals captured by Tiger athletes over the years, five are in the discus.
Tiger great T.A. Weems won two medals in the discus, including a gold in 1939, but Weems’ influence transcended the generations as he mentored Tiger weight-men for decades, including son Ted, Stanley Blinka and Freddie Cates—all who captured gold medals.
Tyler Lehmkuhl will compete in the discus at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas.
Cates, who won gold in 1997—holds the school record in the discus at 186-3, set in Hearne in 1997.
Blinka—who played for the New York Jets in the NFL—mined gold in 1975 and his effort at the time was a school record.
LeRaven Clark—who currently plays for the Indianapolis Colts—won a bronze in the discus in 2010.
Lehmkuhl—an all-state tight end on the Tigers Class 3A state championship team—will continue his football career at Angelo St., so it remains to be seen if he can equal Blinka and Clark’s professional success.
Lehmkuhl’s surge to state has been impressive, having improved his effort by almost 30 feet from district to regional.
The 6-foot-3 senior had reeled off throws of 148-11 to win district and a 156 toss at area, but his regional effort soared to a measurement of 171-4.
Jeremy Hesiler of Grand-view was a distant second at 153-8.
“I was surprised,” said Lehmkuhl. “I thought it was going to be about 160 or something. I couldn’t believe it when he announced it.”
Lehmkuhl is the only state meet entrant for Rockdale, the 2016 state champions.
Tiger assistant Charlie Hall is Lehmkuhl’s T.A. Weems.
“Tyler is a hard working young man,” says Hall. Each throw is how do I fix it? What did I do wrong? He tries to fix that and keeps going. He’s out there each day doing a different drill or technique.”
Lehmkuhl has suffered two knee injuries in his athletic career, which has hampered his progress and at the outset of last track season, he was throwing 122-feet.
“Its not the easiest event to enter, because of his knees, Hall said. “Believe me when I say he is not a natural. I thought he was going to break something when he started. But, he took the challenge as in everything else he has pushed himself to the top in our Division.
“His question after each meet is why can’t I throw further and I know when I hear those words, we will not get a day off until it’s fi xed.”
“Tyler is a great kid with amazing talent and his competitive edge does not allow him to back down from challenges,” said Rockdale track coach Lewis Edmond-son. “At regional, he had fun with each throw getting better. It couldn’t have come at a better time. He told Coach Hall and myself this next throw will be big and it was just that. I cant wait to see him compete in state.”
Lehmkuhl enters the state meet with the second-best qualifying throw, behind Cason Brown of Schulenburg’s 178-11.
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