CHARLESTON – A.J. Epenesa saved the best for last.
With everything riding on his last effort in the discus throw Saturday, Epenesa went all-in and came up with a 197-11 toss to successfully defend his IHSA Class 3A discus throw championship and – more importantly – score 10 key points for the Tigers en route to their second state title in three years at Eastern Illinois University's O'Brien Field and track complex.
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“To come out and win like that, it's pretty emotional for my family and myself and it was a big win today. I'm just happy I could contribute to the team for that,” Epenesa said. “I just knew I had to do something good and got it out back like that; I'm happy I could come out with the W.”
When asked what he would remember about his track career with the Tigers, Epenesa said “I'm going to remember all the state meets; the state meets are going to be the most memorable because they had the biggest impact on me – a lot of hard work and dedication for all of my sports (football, basketball and track); it showed through the success I had."
Epenesa will take his athletic talents to the University of Iowa in August and be a member of the Hawkeyes football team on a full athletic scholarship. He has said he also plans to continue his track and field career at Iowa.
