RJ Monford ended his career with the Greene County track-and-field team as a state champion.
Over the weekend, he placed first in the discus competition at the Class A Division II state meet in Albany with a mark of 165-0, earning him a spot at the top of the podium.
Monford was thrilled to bring a gold medal back home to Greensboro.
“It feels amazing to say that I’m a state champion in something I love doing,” Monford said.
Monford worked hard to achieve his goal.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior got progressively better over the last few weeks, working with assistant coach Ryan Bullock on trying to place at the state meet.
Monford explained that Bullock played a crucial role in helping him secure first place.
“Coach Bullock played a big role in this journey to me being a state champion,” he said. “Whatever I wasn’t doing enough of, or not doing at all, he would let me know where mistakes were made. From whether there wasn’t enough hip movement to finding my place in the ring, he would tell me where I was wrong. His criticism helped a lot.”
A few weeks ago, Monford had a throw of 145-09 and a first-place finish at the region championship meet. He then placed first again at the state sectional meet with a mark of 149-3, and his throw of 165-0 last weekend was a personal record.
“I was really just focusing on my hip movement and release point to get good height when I throw the discus,” Monford said.
Greene County head coach Ryan Andrews was proud of Monford for working hard and setting a new personal best.
“I give all credit to RJ and Coach Bullock,” Andrews said. “RJ went into the finals as a heavy favorite. It came down to his last throw. Coach Bullock told him, ‘This is your last throw of high school and maybe ever. Scream, yell, whatever you’ve got to do.’ That’s what he did. He screamed and released everything, and he broke his own record by throwing a 165-0. I’m extremely proud of him and happy for him and his family. He finished on top.”
Monford also placed seventh in the shot put competition.