Chelmsford Teen Builds Olympic-Scale Shot Put Sector At High School

Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio

CHELMSFORD, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Chelmsford High School has a new shot put sector thanks to one of its students.

Track and field athlete Xavier May constructed the Olympic-scale sector for his Eagle Scout project, which took six months to finish.

"A lot of people really wished that there was a permanent area, so I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to help them out," May told WBZ NewsRadio. "So I spent time, about over 100 hours between January all the way up until April, of just planning out how this is going to be, what materials I need."

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May got some help from Jim Burgoyne, President of the Twilight Throwers, a local track and field club.

"It’s one of the sports where there’s no cut. So pretty much everybody gets to participate as long as you are doing the drills and working out," Burgoyne said.

Burgoyne and the rest of the Throwers held a meet at Chelmsford High School Sunday to put the new sector to use. May hurled the ceremonial first shot.

"I’m a distance runner," May said. "I have shot put experience, that’s when I threw shot put in third grade."

Burgoyne noted that interest in track and field is growing, and while not as high-profile as other sports, it does have certain benefits.

"Okay, maybe I’m not as good in basketball or in football. You come here and you do one of these specialty events, you might have more college opportunities," Burgoyne said.

WBZ’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.

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