With distances of 48′ 2¾” and 39′ 9¼”, these athletes are more than numbers, they’re inspirations, and the season is not over
“Let me tell you about two remarkable athletes I’ve had the privilege to coach—Phoenix and Lillian,” begins Coach Ben Tunison. “What would you do if your name were etched in history? If in the town you grew up in, your name was hung up for the following generations to see as an inspiration. Not the second best, or the third best, but THE athlete who was the best at your sport out of all the individuals who have gone through the sport before you.
Phoenix Cellini and Lillian Steward have both accomplished that on February 1, 2026.
Lillian has been here before; this is Phoenix’s first time, but this will not be their last. These two will continue to have great accomplishments throughout their lives. You see, it’s not just one throw that makes them great; it’s the process that they have gone through and the mindsets they have adopted to achieve these records. It’s a legacy that is adopted and carried for years to come.
Lillian and Phoenix are both seniors who are vets within my throwing program here at Scotia. I have coached Lillian for a total of 8 seasons (4 indoor and 4 outdoor) and Phoenix for 4 seasons (2 indoor and 2 outdoor track). Throughout the years, these two individuals have bought into the program, and what I, as a coach, have been working on with these athletes to understand is that it’s all about GROWTH. People can see the numbers all day, but what they don’t see is the hundreds of hours of work, the injuries, the heartbreaks, the fouls, the pain, the struggle, the grit, or the sacrifice. All they see is a number. Lillian and Phoenix have been some of the few who have taken it upon themselves to train outside of practice. Work on finding their weaknesses, training that weakness into a strength, then move to the next weakness. They have bought into self-GROWTH, and because of this mindset, they were able to etch their name into history for others to follow. The record is not just a number; it’s who they are as people. I hope the rest of the school body can take what their accomplishments are and use them to improve themselves in some way.”— Coach Tunison