By Michael Kinney
MOORE, Okla. -- From the outside looking in, it may have looked like Patrick Larrison had it all during his junior campaign. The Moore High thrower ended the 2017 season with a second state championship in the shot put and a second title in the discus.
Larrison was easily considered the preeminent thrower in the state and one of the best in the nation.
Yet, for Larrison, he was disgusted with his overall performance and vowed to make his senior year one he could be proud of when he looks back on his career.
After winning both the shot put and discus at the 2018 Ken Hogan Invitational recently, Larrison took time to talk to OK Milesplit about what angered him about last season and his expectations for this year.
Q&A
OK MileSplit: Overall, how do you think you've been doing to start out the season?
Patrick Larrison: I think I've been doing pretty good. The offseason, I took it real hard. Almost came out with a PR (March 16) in the discus (190-02), after going pretty bad in shot. Only threw 64-2.
OK MileSplit: Coming into the season, what kind of marks were you looking to hit?
Patrick: I'm looking to beat state record in disc, and hopefully shot as well. (Stroud's Kevin Bookout owns both records. 71-01 in the shot, 215-00 discus).
OK MileSplit: What do you think it's going to take for you to be able to hit either one of those, or both?
Patrick: It's gonna take a lot. Yeah, I'm gonna have to put my all into it.
OK MileSplit: When you said that you hit the offseason hard, what does that mean for you?
Patrick: A lot more aggressive than I have in the past. Throwing heavy implements, throwing more ... Just after last season, it wasn't as good, so I'm just trying to really finish off strong my senior season.
OK MileSplit: So you feel you didn't have a good junior season, despite winning a state title?
Patrick: Yes sir.
OK MileSplit: Obviously for us mortals, that sounds weird. Why do you think it wasn't good?
Patrick: Just didn't transfer as I should have, I think. I think all juniors have their junior slump. I had mine as well.
OK MileSplit: Do you think that you're on the way to having that type of dominant senior season so far?
Patrick: Yes sir, absolutely.
OK MileSplit: How will you know if it's a dominant year?
Patrick: Starting off with almost hitting a PR, I think I'm on a good start.
OK MileSplit: What makes you such a good thrower?
Patrick: Just hard work. I mean just throwing every day, two hours a day. Having two or three-a-day practices. Just putting everything into it.
OK MileSplit: So pretty much just dedication, not just for game day, but the days leading up to it?
Patrick: It's every day, every second, every meal. Just taking everything bit by bit, not focusing on the big picture, just this meet. One step after another.
OK MileSplit: When did you start thinking like this?
Patrick: Freshman year. Kind of slipped away from me after junior year, but back onto it.
OK MileSplit: Why do you think it slipped away from you?
Patrick: After having such a dominant sophomore year, you know, I just feel like I could lighten up. Yeah, but that definitely did not pay off.
OK MileSplit: What will make this season above and beyond what you have dreamed of?
Patrick: I mean first of all, taking the state record. I mean I just got done, I think, a week or two ago, winning indoor nationals in the shot, and setting a state record with 71-1, I believe. Of course that was great, but I really want to win.
Speaker 1: After you graduate, what are your plans? Where will you be next year?
Patrick: Kansas university doing the shot and discus.
OK MileSplit : How exciting is it to know you'll be continuing on to compete at the next level?
Patrick: It's very exciting. I mean I get to get a fresh new start as a freshman. I mean just getting to start over. I learned from the mistakes I had in high school to never let up.