S-G junior Lillian Steward, a thrower on the indoor track & field team, was one of the selected athletes competing in a large invitational meet at Springfield College. This is where she achieved a remarkable throw of 37-11.5 in the weight throw event. This surpassed the previous record of 36-9.25, set by Zoe Connor in 2020.

“Once I heard 37 I knew that was me breaking the school record and it was sort of an adrenaline rush that I’ve never felt before,” Lillian said. “And it just pushes my drive and it makes me want to feel it in discus, indoor shot, and outdoor shot. I want to feel that again because it was something that was so surreal.”

“From the start, as an 8th grader, she was a force of intensity and passion,” said Coach Ben Tunison, who started working with Lillian in the spring of 2022 when she was an accelerated athlete competing in outdoor track. “For the past three years, we have been training in the weight room and changing small details in her throwing motions to allow her to maximize the distance in a throw.”

During the indoor season, student-athletes typically do not have the chance to compete in this type of weight throw event. It is reserved for invitationals and championship meets. It’s impressive that she achieved this despite limited throwing opportunities this winter. She credits her discipline. “Once I got to about the end of my sophomore season in outdoor, I realized the goals were attainable. I realized if I reached for that, I could achieve it. And then I started to really focus on summer training, my diet, form work, my mental state, and all of that form together and worked perfectly, she said.”

Rachel Williams, Lillian’s mother, expressed immense pride, stating, “There were moments of doubt, tough practices, and setbacks, but she never gave up. Now, all her hard work has culminated in this unforgettable moment, where she etched her name in the history books of Scotia-Glenville.”