Epenesa lets one of his mammoth tosses fling during the Prospect Invite warm up session (Colin Boyle video)
The only obstacle that stands in the way of AJ Epenesa is Dan Block's (Lake Park) laser like 208'11" toss at his home sectional championship in 2009. Block was a phenom in both the discus throw and shot put where he had a personal best of 66'3". Block took pride in becoming a great technician in the discus. Although he had the height and strength he was not the sculptured athlete as is the junior superstar in the making Epenesa. What could be the difference between the two, though, may be the athleticism that Epenesa possesses. The 6'5" 230 LB nightmare averaged 17 points and 13 points during the basketball season for the Tigers. However, it is perhaps the gridiron that Epenesa may excel best on. According to multiple football information outlets, Epenesa is the #2 rated/Five Star First Team All-American Defensive End. He indicated that the University of Iowa is his first choice for college. His father Eppy Epenesa played at Iowa and the Hawkeyes are rumored to be pro-track and field.
If track and field stays in Epenesa's future life the current US #1 thrower at 206'5" will have a shot at becoming a national high school and perhaps collegiate champion.
The Edwardsville coaching staff said this of their phenomenal athlete:
AJ's work ethic is fantastic, and it has to be when you are all-state in three different sports. Something that a lot of people probably don't realize is that he has really only thrown for about 8 months in his entire life. He was an all state hurdler and high jumper in middle school and plays football and basketball from June until late March. He gets about two and a half months a year to work on his throwing technique, so to be as good as he is he has had to be extremely coachable and a very hard worker. He stays humble and does everything his coaches ask of him.
One of the things that sets AJ apart is his competitive edge. He brings his "A" game every meet and his consistent marks reflect that. When AJ finally popped his 206'5, it was at our home Invite in front of a huge crowd, where Sam Sikon (Jr., Carbondale) was also throwing. AJ was excited to compete against him. Some throwers tense up or try too hard in front of that kind of crowd, but AJ rose to the occasion. When the 206 foot throw left his hands, the crowd gasped. Everyone there knew it was a monster throw. When the official read off the mark the crowd erupted. AJ wasn't done there, as his next two throws were over 197. His teammates were very excited for him and there was a buzz in the air for the rest of the meet that led to some more great performances.
The breakdown of the US #1 206'5" IL #2 all-time toss at the Winston Brown Invitational (photos by Tony Holler)
Exhibit A
Exhibit B
Exhibit C
Exhibit D
