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Wayne senior gets scholarship to OSU

Alexis Thomas had a dominant performance in 20-pound weight throw at state indoor meet

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By Mickey Zezzo, Contributing Writer Updated 3:25 AM Friday, April 24, 2009

HUBER HEIGHTS — Cathy Thomas probably could challenge her daughter to a short race.

But when it comes to weights or throwing, mom, a former Stebbins High School sprint star who at one time held the girls’ 100-meter mark (12.5 seconds), would likely back off.

Wayne High School senior Alexis Thomas, who is Ohio State-bound, emerged from the indoor track-and-field season as a state champion and a Warrior to watch in this spring’s prep track season.

“I think of her as a late bloomer,” veteran Wayne track coach Mike Fernandez said. “Alexis is not your prototypical thrower because she’s tall (5-foot-10) and has come on strong in her junior and senior seasons.”

Her big accomplishment at the state indoor meet at the University of Akron was taking the Division I title in the 20-pound weight throw (it’s 25 pounds for boys) and erasing a state record in doing so with a healthy heave of 53 feet, 7 inches.

In fact, she turned a few heads by smashing the old mark of 44 feet in the event that is similar to the hammer throw.

“Alexis has been working with our weights and throwing assistant coaches, Nathan Kopp and Jim Findlay, and they have done wonders with her,” Rodriguez said. “She has come a long way in a considerably short time.”

Kopp, a Bethel High School grad, is the head girls basketball coach at Troy. Findlay is a Centerville grad and former Centerville assistant track mentor.

“Coach Fernandez knows my first love was volleyball when I was a freshman,” Thomas said. “But he kept the faith in me that I could do well in the weights and throwing.”

As a junior, Thomas finished third in the state in the discus, with a respectable heave of 133-6. She wasn’t as prominent in the shot put a year ago, her best toss being 37 feet.

Kelly Plummer, the Warriors’ all-time great in the shot put, holds the school mark in that event at 48-2½. She went to the University of Dayton and later transferred to Kentucky.

“I think that showing at Akron had a lot to do with Alexis earning an 85 percent scholarship to OSU,” Fernandez said.

Thomas, who originally planned on playing volleyball in college, said she is excited about becoming a Buckeye. “In my wildest dreams, I never thought I’d wind up at OSU, so I am really thrilled about the opportunity.

“And my college sport now is definitely track.”

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