Senior shot putter leads Fox Chapel indoor track state qualifiers

By: Josh Rizzo
Saturday, February 24, 2024 | 11:01 AM

Mason Miles wanted more input on how to become a better thrower.

The Fox Chapel senior does his best to work with throw coach Jayne Beatty a few times a week. Beatty, who was a three-time All-American at Slippery Rock, was able to help Miles refine his technique and make it more effective.

“I learned a lot,” Miles said. “If I didn’t have Jayne, I couldn’t switch from the glide to the spin as efficiently. She gives me a lot of technical pointers while I’m at practice and what to work on when I’m at home.”

Miles, who lost his entire indoor junior season due to a torn ACL he suffered playing football, is enjoying being healthy by making up for lost time. At the Tri-State Track Coaches Association meet, Miles threw the shot put a school record 53 feet, 6 inches to finish in second place.

Miles was selected as an honorable mention player for all-conference honors during football season.

“Strength and training have helped him,” Foxes track coach Tom Moul said. “He is diligent in the weight room. He is motivated to improve his technique and has the right mindset. He is always learning about the sport.”

Miles was one of three Fox Chapel athletes to qualify for the state meet at Penn State. Anna Troutman defended her championship in the high jump with a leap of 5-3. Rowan Gwinn qualified in two events.

Alyssa Quackenbush set a school record at the 400 meters with a run of 1:01.43. Moul said that Quackenbush had a full schedule during the event.

“I was impressed,” Moul said. “She had a busy day. She ran the 60, the 400, the 4x, and she had a good day. She was spent. She had actually broken the school record the meet before, but she didn’t know.”

Miles was able to work back to competition slowly last year. After the injury during football season, Miles was dedicated to his physical therapy and was able to compete during the spring season last year.

“I had to go to physical therapy twice a week and had to work out on my own and do my own home workouts,” Miles said. “The hard work I put in for those months was hard. The strength level in both quads was off by a lot. I had to work a lot of the time to get the quad strength back equal so my knee is as strong as it was before.”

With proper coaching and good health, Miles is excited about his prospects for success at the indoor state meet and outdoor season.

“It’s a good feeling not to worry about my knee like my junior year,” Miles said. “I’m not holding anything back physically, especially when I’m thinking about the strength in my legs and doing certain workouts.”

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