SOMERS, N.Y. - Last year, Charlie Sullivan won the weight throw at the New York State Track and Field Championships. But the Tusker wanted to do more than repeat — he set a goal of breaking the state record. In the process, however, that aspiration briefly pulled the champion away from what had helped him reach the top in the first place.
“I was so focused on breaking the record that I was losing my love for the sport,” Sullivan said.
So the field star reset, rediscovered his passion, and ultimately shattered the ceiling.
Seventy-five feet, 11.5 inches.
Sullivan explained the appeal.
“Throwing the hammer is my favorite thing to do on the whole planet. There’s just something about it,” he said. “It’s addictive to keep practicing each little aspect and then be able to see the progression with every inch.”
Still, he realized something had gone wrong.
“It was becoming a drag to go to practice,” Sullivan revealed, and the joyful drive to improve had faded.
He also stopped comparing himself to the competition — and even to last year’s success.
“I started to focus on what I was doing right now. That was the only thing that could have an effect, and that shift helped get me into a good mental headspace,” he said.
The physical side played a role as well.
“I had some issues with injuries and sickness that put a break on my plans,” he explained.
As a result, the performances weren’t quite as strong, and the downturn did not go unnoticed.
“SplitMile put out an article where they said it was anyone’s game and that it looked like there would be a new state champ,” Sullivan said.
He didn’t take that lightly — but it was the rest of the field that may have been put on notice.
“That kind of lit a fire under me, and I was like, I’m going to defend this championship,” Sullivan recalled.
The first evidence came at sectionals.
“I won by 20 feet,” he said. “That’s a huge gap.”
Next came the qualifiers, where his margin of victory was 12 feet.
“Even then,” Sullivan said, “I was competing against myself.”
At the state championships, however, the challenge was real.
“I had some proper competition,” he admitted.
Especially from runner-up Kane Poje.
“He’s just an absolute brute of a guy,” Sullivan said.
Undeterred, Sullivan quickly made a statement.
“I went out in the first round and dropped one that was farther than the personal best of every single person in the competition,” he said. “So I knew immediately I was getting at least second place.”
As the field narrowed, Poje kept pushing.
“It just went back and forth between him and me,” Sullivan said. “Every single time he would improve, I would improve by about half a foot more.”
In the end, Sullivan pulled away by a foot and a half. But the gold medal took second place to the experience.
“I train with him. I know how hard he works, and I know all the effort he puts in,” Sullivan said. “I know this is someone who has the same love, the same passion, the same dedication. Being able to go back and forth for a title with him was such an amazing feeling.”
Sullivan is also quick to credit his coach.
“He’s the reason I’ve gotten this far,” the senior said of Kevin Sullivan.
No relation, the coach simply loves the sport and strives to give back, according to his athlete. That made it even more meaningful when Sullivan etched his name into the record books.
“Next year, going into the state meet, it will list the record with my name and Somers next to it,” the two-time champion said. “That means so much to me.”
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