Nothing Mini about Griffy

My job is relatively easy – be in the right place at the right time. 
I was anything but Monday. 
Gage Griffith became Aurora’s most prolific thrower Monday at the Central Nebraska Track Championships, besting school records in the discus and shot put. 
It must have been a real treat for all of those on the west side of Northwest’s facility to see the two best throws in Aurora track and field history. 
I didn’t see either one of them. 
It’s the one thing I’ve kept my eye on the most over the first month of the track season. When and where would Griffy break those records. For me, it was a matter of when, not if.
Since I’ve already outed myself, I wasn’t late to the meet. It’s just a nature of the beast, covering multiple athletes at once. 
What a moment it must have been. 
By the time I made my way over to the discus ring, Griffy had already thrown his new school record of 186-03, displacing the great Tom Kropp from atop the school record list. 
With one flick of the wrist, Gage had become an Aurora legend. That only scratched the surface, however. 
I thought it was a bit odd, seeing the Aurora big man scratch several throws that weren’t quite up to Griffith standards, but certainly weren’t bad, either. Sure, he was scratching them because they didn’t go 190-feet. 
I hustled over to catch Carsen Staehr and Caden Carlson compete in their respective triple jump and pole vault events, and what happens?
Mr. Griff throws a new school record of 60-10.50 in the shot put. My condolences to Dalton Peters for falling to second on the all-time Aurora shot put list. 
Don’t get me wrong, I’m as happy as anyone for Gage. I know how much the future Wyoming track product has worked for this exact moment. 
But…, couldn’t you just wait five more minutes for me to get in position?
I was lucky enough to see one of his 60-plus throws in the shot later on in the event, and that was well worth the price of admission. 
Word started to spread around the track about what Griff was doing in the throws.
Two new school records. “Did you hear who he passed up?”
Tom Kropp. 
Whoa. 
Just the mention of the name Tom Kropp evokes thoughts of excellence, greatness and all-timer. 
Gage Griffith is now not only mentioned alongside Kropp but he took an eraser to his name and scribbled his own in place. 
A 51-year record, one a lot of people thought would never be touched, was blasted by Griffith. 
For those wondering what’s next for Griff, I couldn’t quite get him to work it as such, but I’ll stick my neck out for him. 
Essentially, he has one more month to take what he’s already written in pencil and go over it with a Sharpie marker. 
What does that mean? 190? 200? Sixty-five in the shot?
It’s funny, I’ve tagged Griff in several Twitter posts through football and track, and his username makes me laugh every time. 
“Mini Griffy.”
Trust me, there’s nothing mini about Griffy. Congrats, guy. 
RICHARD RHODEN can be reached at sports@hamilton.net.