Stellar prep career ends in gold strike at state track meet
OMAHA, Neb. -- The story of Mike Shoff's high school athletic career needs to have the words gold or golden somewhere in the title.
Shoff ended his high school career with a gold harvest last weekend at the Nebraska State High School Track and Field Championships. The Cambridge senior won the Class D throwing events at the state meet Friday and Saturday, May 18-19, at Burke High Stadium in Omaha.
Shoff begin his state meet May 18 by winning the all-class gold medal in the shot put. His Class D winning throw of 60 feet, 11 1/2 inches held up as the best throw of the meet across all four classifications. Shoff's throw was more than four feet longer than his closest competitor, and more than three feet better than Class A champ Thomas Swanson of Grand Island in the all-class gold medal comparisons.
Mike then won the Class D discus May 19 with a throw of 170 feet, 8 inches, over 15 feet farther than his closest Class D competitor.
Shoff also won both events at state as a junior when Cambridge competed in Class C.
THE GENTLEMAN GIANT will finish his storied prep career as one of the most decorated big athletes in Nebraska history. Shoff transferred to Cambridge after spending his freshman and sophomore years at Sutton. He has been an all-state football player who will take his gridiron skills to South Dakota State next fall. Mike also dominated on the wrestling mat, with just one loss in four years.
Shoff dropped a 2-1 overtime decision in the Class C state finals in his freshman season at Sutton. He went unbeaten and won the heavyweight gold medal the next year, then went undefeated with two more state titles in his final two mat campaigns at Cambridge.
And don't forget four state track meet gold medals over two years, and the all-class shot put gold a week ago.
"It's been awesome. I've had it so extremely lucky," Shoff said. "Anyone winning one gold medal, that's amazing. I've had the opportunity to win multiple (golds). To just have all the support and all the fun I've had over these last four years has been great."
SHOFF KNEW entering state that he was the best shot putter in the state. He hit a career-best mark of 61 feet, 11 3/4 inches earlier in the season.
"It doesn't get any better than knowing if you do your best you're going to have the best throw in the entire state," he said. "I was throwing well all week (heading into state). I've just been in preparation for this all year."
Shoff had added incentive, and added pressure, as his Trojans were in the thick of the Class D team race at the state track and field meet. Cambridge won the state title by four points over Twin Loup.
"Tons of pressure. With pressure comes the ability to do more that what you should be able to," he said. "There's the added motivation. You just use that. Some people, they fold under it, and some people rise to the occasion. I did a good job this week of rising up to the occasion. I'm proud of what I did and what Kaden Huxoll's done, our entire track team -- a great job this year, and I'm just proud to be a part of it."
HUXOLL, A JUNIOR, was a key contributor to the Trojan state title. Kaden swept gold medals in all three sprints, winning the Class D 100-meter dash, the 200 and 400, along with a leg on the Cambridge second-place 400-meter relay team with Isaac Johnson, Zane Petersen and Jordan Volk.
Huxoll said his winning time of 50.189 seconds in the 400 was a personal record, and he came close to career-best times in the 100 and 200. He came from behind to win the 400.
"On the last curve I was about fourth or fifth," he said. "I just went and it turned out for the best."
Cambridge head track coach Laurie Farr said the state title was a total team effort that stretched through the season. Farr said the Trojans experienced a "domino effect" of success feeding off the performances of their two stars.
"Every one of the kids we brought down here contributed," Farr said. "If they didn't score a ton of points, then they were there cheering and they were there warming everybody up. It just took every one of them and finishing where they did for this to happen."
WITH SO MANY HIGHLIGHTS, Shoff was asked to pick a favorite from his stellar prep athletic career.
"It's hard to pick from," Shoff said. "Anybody that's had the kind of career I've had has been lucky. I'm just glad.
"Winning the Class C discus last year (2011) after not even close to being a favorite. That was awesome."
While discussing this year's state discus title with a throw about a foot off his career best, Shoff humbly admitted, "I did all right."
Mike, a 6-5, 280-pound prospect, was asked which was his favorite sport?
"Football -- easy," he said.
He's looking forward to testing his skills at the collegiate level in South Dakota for the next few years.
"I'm going to head up there in August and compete for a spot," he said. "If not, I'm going to redshirt. I'm just ready to get to college and start football. I've had football, but I lost it for that one year and I'm ready to get it back."
Shoff sat out most of his junior season after surgery to repair damage to his knee.
Before college football, Shoff has a few more duties in the coming weeks representing Cambridge. He will be a member of the South team in the annual Nebraska Shrine Bowl all-star football game Saturday, June 2 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. He also plans to compete in the Nebraska Scholastic Wrestling Coaches Association State All-Star Duals in Grand Island June 9. He will face John Stajner of Norris, fourth-place medalist at 285 pounds in Class B at last year's state meet.
CAMBRIDGE HAS A STRONG athletic reputation around the state, and Coach Farr said this year's boys track team continued that tradition.
"These kids have been that way all season -- they love to have fun and they're always going to have fun wherever they go, but they also will compete," Farr said. "They know what it's about and they know what it takes to compete. They're willing to give that."