Hortonville senior Ben Smith leads nation in shot put, again

(WFRV) – Ben Smith continues to set personal and national records. The Hortonville senior shot putter threw 75’1″ on Monday at the Fond Du Lac FVA Boys Quad meet, setting a new national record .

The current national record is 70’0.5″, set by Dillon Morlock in Ohio. Smith’s throw surpasses that mark by over five feet and is a top-five shot put throw in boys high school history. Last season, Smith held the nation’s longest throw at 67’7.25″, a mark he threw in his first meet as a junior.

Smith is the two-time reigning WIAA Division 1 state champion at the shot put, throwing 59’4″ in 2022 and 66’1.5″ in 2023. He also won the discus title in 2022 (179’3″) and currently ranks second in the nation in discus as well. Smith threw 208’11” at the Oshkosh North FVA meet on April 23.

The University of Oregon commit will look to break Green Bay Preble’s Steve Marcelle’s Wisconsin state record shot put throw of 67’6″ (set in 2005) at the WIAA State Track & Field Championship on May 31.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton.