Penn Relays appearance catapults Middletown thrower into championship season
PHILADELPHIA – Simone Cooper's career in the shot put and discus started with YouTube and TikTok videos.
It has since taken the Middletown senior to some of the country's largest stages, including Thursday when Cooper tossed the shot put alongside the best from New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Jamaica at the 128th edition of the Penn Relays.
Cooper's performance qualifies as a disappointment — she placed ninth with a throw of 40-7 — but only because she has set the standards for herself so high. Coming off a shot put state championship indoors, she had won all but one competition that she had entered this spring. The discus state record is in sight after Cooper set a 10-foot personal best earlier this month to leap to No. 2 on Delaware's all-time performance list.
"I know she was hoping to do better and I was hoping she'd do better," said Barry Swanson, a longtime track and field coach who trains Cooper three days a week at his Philadelphia Pike gym. "She's a great kid. She listens. She works her butt off. She's strong as hell, too."
Cooper joined Middletown's track and field team as a sophomore after she decided to stop dancing. With hindsight, she says that background probably helped — balance and core strength are key components of both disciplines. At the time, however, she was just doing her best as she modeled her form after videos she found online.
A breakthrough arrived at the state meet that year when Cooper placed second in Division I in the discus.
"I was like, 'OK, I'm getting the hang of it,'" Cooper said.
The following year, Cooper started working with Swanson, who has coached Delaware state champion throwers Christina Hillman of St. Thomas More, Sarah Hillman of Polytech and Myrissa McFolling-Young of Smyrna, among other standouts. Cooper won the shot put and discus at the state meet and the Meet of Champions, and entered the top 10 all-time in state history in both events.
"Some kids, they don't listen and they don't try," Swanson said. "Why are they even coming to me? She does all of the above."
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With Cooper in earshot, Swanson repeated McFolling-Young's discus state record with emphasis on each number: 156 feet, 9 inches. Cooper had, at least for the time being, dropped her frustration from the day's event and revealed a few smiles. Swanson knows Cooper wants the record more than anyone else, himself included, so he doesn't fear adding much pressure.
"Sometimes she needs more confidence in herself," he said. "She starts listening to her head talk to her, 'I can't do this. I suck.' My head does that to me, too."
Cooper threw 149-4 at the Park Invite on April 6 in Severna Park, Maryland. She said her discus form has come along faster than expected. Even so, her shot put is catching up. She threw 44-1 at the Coatesville Invitational April 13, the fourth-best toss in state history. Cooper is working on making sure her lower body leads in the first part of her throw and controlling how fast she gets out of the back of the circle.
"I just know the big one is coming," said Cooper, who is committed to the University of Maryland. "If I can just stay consistent, that big PR is coming."
Cooper will now embark on the championship season, a gauntlet of four meets over the next three weeks beginning with Thursday's Blue Hen Conference Championships. But before then, a busy weekend is ahead between school, training and a 5k Saturday for Middletown's National Honor Society. Plus, Thursday was Cooper's 18th birthday.
Swanson was made aware as he and Cooper walked up a hill from the shot put circle, a walk from Franklin Field.
"Had I known that I wouldn't have been so hard on you," Swanson said.
Padua wins Northern Delaware 4x400 and advances to 4x800 championship
In one of the races of the day, Padua overtook Tatnall late to win the Northern Delaware 4x400 in a school record time.
The team of Anna Bockius, Madelyn Mead, Sophia Holgado and Molly Flanagan combined to run 3:50.07, the third-fastest time in state history. Padua has now won the Northern Delaware 4x400 in the last three Penn Relays.
Bockius established an early lead then Tatnall's Abby Downin passed the Pandas in the final stretch of the second leg. Downin, the 800 indoor state record holder, recorded Tatnall's fastest split, 57.53. Holgado overtook Tatnall early in the third leg, but Tatnall third-runner Kerem Tanner stayed attached and the teams came to the final exchange separated by a tenth of a second. After taking the baton, Flanagan ran hard in the first 100 to keep an inside position then opened up a large lead on the back straight. She split 54.85.
"I felt strong and I knew what I had to do for my team," Flanagan said. "I wanted to get out and make sure I had good position and just try to expand the lead rather than waiting."
The Tatnall team of Darian Harris, Downin, Tanner and Malana Neal ran 3:53.59. Saint Mark's placed third in 4:06.64.
In the meet's first event, Padua ran 9:09.06 to finish fifth among all teams in four qualifying heats of the 4x800. Padua will run in the Championship of America at 6:15 p.m. Friday.
Padua ran a tactical race, focused on qualifying for Friday's final. Bockius, Padua's leadoff runner, ran the first 300 meters tucked in on the rail before moving up to first. Edwin Allen of Jamaica overtook Padua shortly after the first exchange, but Padua broke away from the chase pack. Holgado, Kelsey Wolff and Flanagan maintained second the rest of the way.
"I was just trying to stay calm and collected, knowing our goal is to make it to tomorrow," Holgado said. "So, not completely exert myself, but keep us in the race."
Padua is seeking to become the first Delaware team to win the Penn Relays 4x800 Championship of America. Padua has already had success on a national stage, having won the 4x800 at New Balance Nationals in March and having set an indoor state record of 8:49.86 in a win at the Millrose Games. They also set an indoor state record of 3:52.58 in the 4x400.
Other notes from around the track
The Caesar Rodney team of Keira Towns, Ella Brown, Alexis Blackwell and Bree Talley ran Delaware's fastest 4x400 time in the open heats. The Riders time of 4:09.12 was a 10-second improvement from last year's Penn Relays.
"I feel really strong about where we're at as a team," said Blackwell, a senior distance runner.
Tatnall ran the fastest 4x100 of Delaware schools with Kiara Davis, Arianna Montgomery, Lexi Tarlue and Darian Harris combining to run 49.19.
Penn Relays continues Friday with heats of the high school boys 4x100 and high school boys field events, as well as championship races for the boys and girls distance medley relays, miles, 3,000s and the girls 4x800.
Brandon Holveck reports on high school sports for The News Journal. Contact him at bholveck@delawareonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Simone Cooper of Middletown has Delaware's discus record in her sights
