FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Gleneve Grange broke the Florida State shot put record Saturday at the Tyson Invitational, highlighting another productive day for the Seminoles, who split up for two meets for the pivotal weekend as the indoor track & field season winds toward the postseason.
Grange’s second throw sailed 16.32 meters (53-6.50) and pushed the junior from third to first on the Seminoles’ all-time list, past Kamorean Hayes’ 2008 record of 16.29.
A junior transfer who was forced to sit out last season, Grange chose FSU out of New Mexico Junior College primarily to compete in the discus with fellow Jamaican Kellion Knibb and under coach Dorian Scott’s direction.
“It’s a great feeling knowing that I just came here for the discus; the shot put was a pet event and now I’m excelling in it,” said Grange, who came into the season with a shot put personal best of 14.57 meters (47-9.75). “Definitely there’s more. I just need to get some technique work done and it will fly.”
Grange, who broke the Jamaican junior national discus record once held by Knibb – which has since been broken by FSU freshman Shanice Love – is growing fond her one-off event.
“I hated it to be honest,” Grange said. “I was throwing it but it wasn’t going anywhere so I grew more to the discus than the shot.”
Her progression from a season-opening mark of 15.67 meters (51-5) literally has her dreaming of bigger throws in the future.
“I’m sleeping and dreaming about my technique,” Grange said. “It’s weird.”
“I couldn’t be more happy for her,” Scott said. “She got the record but it wasn’t perfect throwing. There’s still so much more there. I don’t want to throw a number out there, but 16.32 is just the beginning.”
Grange wasn’t the only Seminole at the Randal Tyson Center to move up Florida State’s all-time top 10 lists. Sophomore Shauna Helps climbed from sixth to fourth in the 200-meter dash, finishing third in a new personal-best of 23.56; not bad for someone who considers herself more of a short sprinter.
“Honestly I am getting more excited [about the 200],” said Helps, who also posted a personal-best in the 60-meter dash on Friday. “This year my coach [Brandon Hon] and I sat down and we attacked training from a different angle, being more prepared for the longer races as opposed to being just a 60- and 100-meter runner.”
Helps was actually the second collegian in the field – Olympian Kori Carter won in 23.22 – and beat some established stars, including 2016 NCAA Indoor 60-meter champion Teahna Daniels of Texas.
“I’m always grateful for a PR, but I think I’m my worst critic,” Helps said. “I’m grateful for my PR but there were many mistakes in the race; things I need to clean up before the ACC’s.”
