Jack Hayes was a mainstay of the football Tigers last fall, and these days, you’ll see him throwing discus and shot put at Republics track meets. But in-between, he keps busy in the weight room, finishing 3rd at the state power-lifting competition.
Hayes says he didnt start lifting weights just for the fun of it, but because it would help him with other sports.
“I definitely got into lifting weights for football and athleticism in general,” he says, “but it can be anything, and Ill be competitive. It can be skipping rocks. So whenever Coach Beachler offered to us last year to join these weightlifting competitions, it was just another chance to compete, and I love to compete.”
Hayes heads into the track season with a goal of advancing to state in the shot put, discus, or both. He fell just short at sectionals last season.
“I feel like Ive gotten quicker in the disc ring, and shot, I feel like Im about where I was last year,” he says. “I feel like Im improving at disc, so hopefully … I make it to state by the end of the year.”