Shotputter Lawrence Kensinger breaks 53-year-old record at City championships

When Lawrence Kensinger stepped into the circle for his last throw of the City Section shotput finals on Thursday afternoon in Lake Balboa, he felt a surge of adrenaline like never before.

Energized by spectators and fellow competitors clapping behind him, the Venice High senior gave them reason to cheer with his Herculean heave of 65 feet, 11 inches, breaking a 53-year-old City record and taking over the state lead in the event.

“Number one baby!” Kensinger screamed as he hugged his dad, Cliff. “When you release it, you don’t even feel it coming out of your hand … it’s like air,” he said. “That’s how you know it’s good. It felt amazing!”

After scratching on his first two attempts by stepping over the board, Kensinger played it safe on his third, then let loose on the fourth to shatter the section record of 64-08.75 set by David Gerasimchuk of Narbonne in 1973. That was the second-longest standing City record behind only the boys pole vault which dates to 1969.

“I got 62 [feet] on my first attempt so even though it didn’t count I felt pretty good,” said Kensinger, who won with a throw of 55 feet at last year’s City finals after a 55-09 effort at prelims. “It did get in my head a little but the third throw I just wanted to get a mark out there. Then on the last one I was told just go out there and rip it.”

Kensinger played football in ninth and 10th grade but quit to focus on the shotput. His goal at last year’s state meet was to qualify for finals. This time, he wants to be on the top step of the podium.

He works with Nick Garcia, the strength and condition coach at Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks. “I’ve been throwing since my freshman year and go to his clinics and train with him once a week. He gives me my lifting program. I send him videos and he does technical analysis. Having a good coach is vital. I couldn’t have done this without him.”

Venice senior Lawrence Kensinger puts the shot 65-11 in the City finals Thursday at Birmingham High.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Kensinger bettered the 65-3.5 thrown by Case Jacobson of Mountain View St. Francis at the Arcadia Invitational in April.

“I’ve been eyeing that number … he beat me there,” added Kensinger, whose prior best was 59-08 at the Irvine Invitational earlier this spring.

“I like to say it’s just small steps, but 65 is top tier in the country. I was throwing 60 consistently in practice so I knew I could do it.”

The current national leader is CJ Williams of Frisco Heritage High in Texas with a mark of 72-0.25.

Kensinger wants to go to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where his father played football, but he has yet to sign with the Mustangs.

“I’m just a shot guy right now, but I’d like to do the shot and hammer throw in college,” Kensinger said. “Hammer’s very technical because you do four spins instead of one.”

Was the record-setting throw the highlight of his career?

“So far,” he said. “But I have plenty more to accomplish.”

Also having day to remember at Birmingham High was Jayden Rendon, who repeated as champion in the 110 and 300 hurdles. The senior from Carson clocked 14.35 seconds in the 110, winning by almost a full second, then winning the 300 by over two seconds in 37.39.

“Today was all about getting to the next round,” said Rendon, the state champion in the 300 last year in a personal-best 36.50. “I’m just happy to compete and move forward. The job’s not done yet… I’m looking to defend my state 300 title.”

Rendon, committed to USC, ran a personal-best 13.72 in the 110 at Arcadia and clocked 13.9 in that event at the state finals last season.

“My season best in the 300 is 36.8 at the Mt. SAC Relays, so I can go much faster than today. My goal for the 110 at state is 13.3 [seconds].”

Hamilton junior Evan Fields won the boys 200 in 22.17 and the 400 in 49.00.

North Hollywood senior Ananya Balaraman won the girls 1,600 for the second straight time in 5:07.6, edging Palisades’ Daila Harinck by less than a second, then took third in the 800, won by Annabelle Refnes of Venice.

“My time was better last year but this one was a harder finish,” said Balaraman, who won her second straight City Division I cross-country title in the fall and is headed to Columbia. “Dalia has a good kick. She got me in the 800 at prelims so I expected her to kick at the end.”

Granada Hills’ Samantha Pacheco won the girls 3,200 in 11:23 while Zach Cohen, who won the Division I cross country race in the fall and helped Palisades win the Open Division tennis championship April 29, edged Dolphins teammate Ethan Funk by 11 hundredths of a second in the boys eight-lapper, winning in 9:40 flat.

Carson sprinter Christina Gray ran the first leg of her team’s winning 4×100 relay, then won the 100-meter dash in 12.14 and the 200 meters in 24.45 as the Colts regained the girls team crown after their streak of nine in a row was snapped last season by Granada Hills.

“I’m out of breath,” Gray said. “Everything was back to back and with negative winds but I’m glad I was able to defend all of my titles. I’ve been going up in ranks at state so I need to be first this year.”

Granada Hills won its fifth straight boys title with 75 points, building a huge lead in the field events and holding off second place Palisades (68).