'I'm just trying to have fun': Morlock has more to enjoy after winning state discus title
COLUMBUS — After Dillon Morlock received his gold medal for winning the Division II discus title Saturday, he calmly stood back on the top step of the podium and put his hat back on.
The red International Harvester Tractor hat belonged to the Norwayne junior's grandfather, Jim Morlock Sr., who passed away this past April.
It's something he hasn't been without all season long.
"It just a little something that I like to remember him by," said Morlock, after his throw of 180-feet-2 in the discus gave him his second championship in as many days. "He actually made a bet with my aunt (Norwayne coach Bri Indorf) after I hit my big throw at state last year and he was like, 'You're not going to get him back up there,' just kind of teasing her. That's how me and my aunt, you tell us we can't do something, we're going to go do it.
"He was fueling the fire. He knew exactly what he was doing."
Boy, did he ever.
Morlock followed up his shot put win on Friday with another first-place finish on the final day of the OHSAA State Championships at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
"I remember finding it and I was like, 'Yeah, I'm going to hold on to this," he said, of the hat. "It's really special to wear this and bring him with me out here."
And he wasted little time setting the tone in an event that Morlock entered as one of the favorites.
On just his second throw, Morlock recorded his eventually winning mark — his third time breaking 180 feet this season — to put pressure on the rest of the field.
But he knew he couldn't rest too much with guys like Woodridge's Oliver Meyer, Piketon's Alan Austin and Union Local's Johnny Sabinski each posting 170-foot tosses heading in the opening round.
"Those two kids were right on my heels, both had high 170 throws, so I wanted to put another one out there," Morlock said. "I couldn't make it happen, had a big one of my last one and just foot-fouled it, but it's alright."
After Meyer unleashed a throw of 179-3 to open finals action, the pressure was on. Morlock followed with fouls on each of this last two throws, but he wasn’t too worried.
He was too busy enjoying another day in the throwing ring, a mindset that has helped him capture three state titles and one runner-up finish in the past two seasons.
"I would say I was nervous, but I wasn't. I was just there having fun," he said. "I've thrown against most of these guys before and we just try and make it as fun as possible. Most people take it so serious and I'm just trying to have fun. That's the only point in doing this."
“It's a crazy feeling to win twice. You really can't explain it,” he added. “Like I said (after winning the shot), it’s not going to set in until a week or two later and I’ll just be sitting there and I’m like, ‘Dang, I did that.’”
And Jim Sr. was with him the whole way.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Boys Track and Field: Dillon Morlock wins discus state title
