T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON • East Marshall senior Justin Ridout unleashes a throw in the shot put during the 109th Drake Relays on Friday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. Ridout placed fourth in the shot put in his first time competing at the Relays.

DES MOINES — In the early hours on Friday morning at the Drake Relays there wasn’t a whole lot of noise being made, partially due to the fans not quite being awake at 8 a.m. and partially due to the tension that hung in the stadium.

Unlike the laid-back atmosphere of Thursday, the second day of high school competition in the 109th running of the Drake Relays had a much more business-like feel, with athletes around the stadium knowing this was the day to make their names known.

East Marshall senior Justin Ridout was experiencing that feeling for the first time, and considering he was a top qualifier for the shot put that meant he had to wait until the second flight to start his event, giving him more time to think about what could go right and where he could fail.

Finally, once the first flight ended around 9:05 a.m., it was Ridout’s turn to hit the circle. His first throw of the day would actually be good enough to place him in the final, as the Mustang senior tossed the shot 53 feet, 10 inches to start the competition with one of the top three throws.

Though it didn’t seem the case, Ridout said he wasn’t sure about how that first throw would go.

“I was nervous at first but towards the end it felt pretty good and I got comfortable,” he said.

Ridout’s first throw held up to keep him in the finals, and in his first throw of the finals he sent a statement out to the rest of the field, throwing a 54-4 1/2 and once again jumping into the third spot.

He said seeing his first throw go well without scratching set the tone for his competition and gave him some much-needed confidence.

“It helped a lot, that just let me relax and do my thing so it worked,” said of his first throw. “That’s why I feel like my best throw came in the second round.”

That final throw was actually one of the better marks of the year for Ridout, though it didn’t quite match his personal best of 56-7. He said this was a good experience because he was able to work on some of his technique and get his steps down right.

“I tried to stay lower through the ring and really get my chest up and have my follow through up high,” he said. “That’s been my worst thing all season and it kind of got a little better today, thankfully.”

While Ridout threw well, the day belonged to Nick Phelps from KP-WC, who was the sole thrower to reach over 60 feet. Heading into his final attempt, Phelps had already secured the victory but wanted to truly leave his mark on Drake Relays history.

Just before his last throw, Phelps started a rhythmic clap with the fans in attendance, and the encouragement helped him beat his previous best of the day by nearly two feet, ending with a heave of 65-3 1/2, the second best throw in the history of the Drake Relays.

While he didn’t take home the title, Ridout said just being in attendance for such an achievement and wearing the East Marshall name across his chest while throwing in Des Moines was an honor by itself.

“It was really special, I don’t really even know how to describe it,” he said.

This was the first time Ridout competed in the Relays but not the first time in Drake Stadium, as he was a qualifier for the state tournament last year in Class 2A. Considering he currently owns the second-best mark in the class, behind Phelps, it’s more than likely Ridout will be making a return to the state tournament in a few weeks and he said this experience at the Relays is good for his mentality for a possible state appearance.

“Probably the main thing is to not get too worked up because whatever happens, happens,” he said. “Just let my technique and footwork do all the work.”