When Andrew Ellison was an eighth-grader in 2007, he watched as older brother Anthony, then a senior at Lebanon High, set a Class A record while winning the discus championship at the IHSA state track and field meet,
Four years later, Andrew is a senior for the Greyhounds and has already surpassed Anthony's best throw, but one more goal remains. Like his brother, he wants to finish his high school career as a state champion.
Ellison, who placed fourth at last year's Class 1A state meet with a throw of 171 feet 3 inches, is the top-ranked thrower in the state heading into this year's meet, which is May 27-29 in Charleston.
"Every meet that he's entered, he has won, and every invitational he's entered, he has set new meet records," Lebanon coach Marsha Schmittling said. "His best throw so far is 194 feet 8 inches (at the St. Clair County Meet on April 26 at Belleville West), which currently is the best in the state and seventh or eighth in the nation.
"He's beating people from 2A and 3A schools and the closest anyone has been to him at any meet is 30 to 40 feet. He hasn't had any competition to push him, but he continues to work hard to get to where he wants to be."
Ellison has broken four meet records this season.
"I wanted to throw 190 and I've already surpassed that," he said. "I've changed my goal to 200 now, so we'll see what happens.
"My brother's last throw (at the state meet in 2007) was 189-7 and I wanted to pass him up to prove that I was a better thrower. He comes out to a lot of my meets, especially the bigger ones that he can make when he's not working (for Christ Brothers Asphalt in Lebanon).
"Our technique is pretty similar, but I think I'm a little stronger than him and that's helped me a lot. I'm not tall by throwing standards, so I had to make up for it by getting stronger. I don't have that 6-5 wingspan that some people have when they throw."
In her second year as head coach after two years as an assistant under former coach Ira Price, Schmittling has watched Ellison develop - and follow in the footsteps of his brother - since he was a freshman.
"He lifted weights all winter and he's stronger," Schmittling said. "He put on about 15 pounds of muscle and that took him up an extra notch. He had to adjust the speed of his throw because he's so much stronger, but he's smart enough to make those adjustments."
For the most part, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound Ellison is pleased with his progress over the past four seasons.
"I could have done better last year, but I didn't work as hard as I am now," Ellison said. "I want that first-place medal this year, and if I could get the (Class 1A) state record (190-11, set by Alex Thompson of Winnebago in the 2009 finals), that would be a bonus.
"It's kind of tough when you're not really challenged in a meet. I show up at a meet and it's ‘Ellison's here, so it's over now.' I try to push myself by going after my PR (personal record).
"I'm a little faster this year and I've definitely got a little more torque. I've got to stay focused and not get too crazy. At state, everybody gets all hyped up and they don't throw to their potential."
While Anthony Ellison got to work with discus throwing guru Paul Middleton (whose son Garrett is a former state champion at Nashville), Andrew has worked primarily on his own.
"(The Middletons) coach in Montana right now and they have a bunch of throwing camps, and they've had five straight state champions in five years in the javelin, the shot put and the discus," Ellison said. "I practice pretty much by myself, but (assistant coach) Kermit Edison helps me out and tries to keep me focused on what I'm doing.
"My brother helps me when he can, but I'm so hard-headed sometimes that when he tries to show me something, I don't really want to do it."
Ellison hopes to throw the discus on the collegiate level for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
"I've still got to apply there and get everything straightened out, but they're Division I and they're close to home," said Ellison, who will major in sports medicine and hopes to become a coach or an athletic trainer. "They've got a good throws program and I've talked to the coach numerous times."
