Kline hoping he gets his shot
Jeff Kline is doing everything he can to prepare for a season he knows may never happen.
Fleetwood’s senior works out using items from around his house. Fold-up chairs. Milk jugs. Brooms.
Once a day, he sneaks out to make some throws. All alone in an empty field.
Like every spring sports athlete, Kline is in a holding pattern due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. He has more to lose than most.
Kline is one of the best shot put throwers in the nation. The next few months were supposed to be a validating march toward history ending with a possible PIAA gold medal.
Instead, practices are canceled, meets are in limbo and Kline’s lifting milk jugs.
“I’m a little scared that there won’t be a season,” he said. “But everything they’ve released so far that I’ve read, they’re taking it dayby-day and seeing what happens.”
The Berks outdoor shot put record is 62-6.25 It was set by Schuylkill Valley’s Dane Miller 18 years ago. Kline first became aware of it two years ago, when he was an up-and-coming sophomore throwing around 55 feet.
Miller helps train Kline. Plenty of motivational reminders of that record have found their way into the workouts.
“He just started busting me a little about it,” Kline said. “He’d bring it up during the middle of our sessions. Just reminding me that he has it and I haven’t gotten it yet.”
Many great shot putters have passed through the county since Miller. Schuylkill Valley’s Joe Mundell was a state champion. SV’s Jason Coon won PIAA silver and Berks Catholic’s Brandon George captured bronze.
No one caught Miller. In fact, only Mundell reached 60 feet. Kline was on a different trajectory.
The last time Kline threw in competition was at the PTFCA Indoor Championships at Penn State on March 8. He surpassed Miller’s mark on all six attempts. His best was 64-7.5. It was the second-longest throw in the nation this winter.
Kline finished fourth in the shot put and seventh in the discus at outdoor states last season. He finished fourth in the shot as a sophomore. This was his time for gold.