RICH HENRIE
Updated: May 18
Steinert High School 1982-- Thrower
Unbeaten seasons in a track and field event throughout an entire New Jersey slate are rare. They are reserved for the best, the elite, the legends. And in the spring of 1982 in the discus, Steinert High’s Rich Henrie earned that mantle.
The Mercer County champion in the event (with a career best of 184-9), Henrie dominated showcases like the Bernards Invitational and Mercer Relays. But in those, he was just warming up as he concluded his senior campaign with wins in Central Group IV, at the Group IV state championship and at the Meet of Champions.
That last one was a biggie as he became not only the first Steinert boys’ track and field performer to win the MOC but also the county’s first thrower to take the crown at a meet that by then was over a decade old.
Voted Steinert High’s Spartan of the Year (for all sports), Henrie was far from a one-event specialist and was arguably the school’s best all-around field performer.
In addition to his discus effort (which was the best in the Eastern U.S. that year), Henrie owned the school indoor shot put record (57-9, a mark that helped him grab second place in Group IV) and tossed the javelin 177-9.
Tactically speaking, Henrie was ahead of his time and on the cutting edge. He was one of the first great rotational shot putters in county history--adopting the spin style near the end of his sophomore year at a time where that style was a rarity in the sport. Nowadays nearly every world-class shot putter uses the rotational technique.
In all, Henrie earned 10 school letters, including four in spring track, three indoors and three in football, just a sidenote for a Steinert legend.
MAJOR TITLES
NJ MEET OF CHAMPIONS WINNER - DISCUS 1982
STATE CHAMPION GROUP IV - DISCUS 1982
CJ SECTIONAL CHAMPION - DISCUS 1982
3x MERCER COUNTY CHAMPION - DISCUS 1981, SHOT & DISC' 1982
