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Brotherly Love At Methacton
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| Wesley Lavong, left, and his younger brother, Carlton, are All-American track and field athletes who have both risen to the top of their respective sports. Wesley is a thrower who is looking at Penn State, Arizona and Oregon’s Concordia for college. Meanwhile, Carlton, a junior, is a jumper eyeing USC and LSU, among others. (Krystle Marcellus/The Bulletin) |
By Kevin L. Hall, The Bulletin
Eagleville — Sizing up the young bull of a man that is Wesley Lavong, you wouldn’t think to compare him to a ballerina. It’s doubtful that they even make size-15 slippers. And at a brutish 6-feet, 200-plus pounds, a tutu might not cover everything.
Still, there he was, gliding through agility exercises, light as a feather with the dexterity of a dancer. Sure, he’s strong, squatting over 700 pounds and bench-pressing nearly 400. But it’s his balance and grace that are his true strengths when the Methacton senior steps inside the throwing circle.
While there, watching him spin and twist, he catapults a shot put over 60 feet and hurls a discus out to 170 feet. The senior All-American quickly turns the competition into a chase for second place.
Younger brother Carlton, a junior, is another show-stealer. Ripped and muscled, with broad shoulders and springs for legs, the 16-year-old is gifted and versatile. Though a jumping specialist, it’s not unusual for Carlton to enter four events for Methacton.
Watching him launch himself nearly 50 feet in the triple jump, or sprint 100 meters in 11 seconds, you couldn’t imagine that just over a year ago, he was lying unconscious on a hospital gurney, staving off death with bleeding in his brain and a collapsed lung.
The result of a life-threatening car accident in January 2008, that’s where Carlton found himself — with tubes and wires connected to him like he was some kind of science experiment.
It brought his big brother to tears, about the only thing that could.
“There were tubes everywhere. I didn’t know what was going on,” Wesley recalled. “Then some idiot nurse said, ‘I don’t think he’ll be doing track for the year.’ You really don’t want to hear that.”
His mother, Cornelia, a nursing manager accustomed to such trauma, was shocked to see her youngest son in such a state.
“They didn’t know if he was going to make it,” she said. “It was really scary.”
At first, she thought the phone call she received at work was a misunderstanding.
“I don’t give him permission but to take a bus home,” she said. “I come to find out that my son has been in a car accident. I said, ‘That’s impossible.’”
But it was real. The car that Carlton had been riding in was T-boned by another car and flipped over a ridge. Rescuers needed the Jaws of Life to extract the unconscious boy.
A teacher at the school witnessed the accident and called for help. Within minutes, Carlton was on a helicopter and being taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The quick actions, and a seatbelt, may have saved his life.
Three weeks later, and against doctor’s orders, he was setting a meet record in the long jump at the Kevin Dare Invitational at Penn State.
“That’s just Carlton for you,” Wesley said.
“He’s just kept moving forward,” his mother added.
He had another setback late last year when he nearly broke his ankle landing after a dunk playing basketball in gym class. He missed most of the indoor season and is now just coming back around at “75, 80 percent.”
“My long jump is pretty much there, but I just can’t get that pop on the triple jump,” he said. “It’s just mental now because it does hurt sometimes and I’m hesitant to just slam on it like I used to.”
Yet the meet records, season bests, personal marks are all becoming routine for the big-time brothers of this year’s scholastic track and field season.
Just last weekend, at the 25th Pennsylvania Track Classic, more season and personal bests were set. Carlton sailed 23 feet, 3 ½ inches in the long jump. Wesley set personal marks for both the shot put (62-3) and discus (169-9). In fact, his shot put was the ninth best throw in the country this season, while his discus rated in at a national-best 13th.
The throwing coach at Methacton, Mark Constable, isn’t surprised.
“His footwork is tremendous,” Constable said. “And nobody works harder. He’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he’s explosive and powerful.”
And also deceptively quick.
Wesley thought his future was going to be on the football field. As a sophomore fullback for the school, he was a load to bring down — once tacklers could catch up with him.
The boys had been exposed to track and field earlier in their lives, as 10- and 11-year-olds, participating with the Mallery Playground Challengers when the family lived in Mount Airy.
“They were two little rascals,” Cornelia said. “Having fun, lots of energy.”
Whether it was football, baseball, basketball, chess, track, whatever, the duo excelled at it.
An early guiding force, Challengers coach Darrell Murphy, told them they needed to pick a sport and stick with it. It’s been that way throughout their careers, with coaches, teammates and friends helping them along the way.
Each has individual private coaches. Wesley trains with throwing specialist Barry Swanson. Carlton has thrice-weekly workouts with area jumping specialist Arnie “Doctor Jumps” Schiffrin and former three-time national indoor triple jumping champion Ron Livers.
“Everybody has been so unselfish. The people are so giving,” Cornelia said.
Following in the footsteps of Methacton great Ryann Krais, one of the state’s all-time best track athletes, rubbed off on them as well.
“Ryann is such a tremendous athlete,” Wesley said. “We wanted to do just as well as she did.”
Daryl and Cornelia Lavong, high school sweethearts from Bishop McDevitt who reacquainted after high school, eventually relocated to Norristown. Interest in track continued with Carlton, who learned the tricks of jumping while at Arcola Intermediate School.
The competition between the two ramped up as Wesley joined in.
“When Wesley started doing well, Cornelia said, “Carlton knew he had to try and do well.”
They’ve worked out an agreement — give each other enough space.
“During track, we’re tight. At home it’s like, he goes his way, I go my way,” Carlton said.
Though they may not always show it, there’s genuine brotherly love.
“They will tell you quickly, ‘Don’t put us in the same room, we’ll fight,’” Cornelia said. “But it’s just like little bickering. I don’t allow them to fight. Because once I step in, then it’s like, ‘Whoa.’”
Right now, they’re setting their own paths in their respective events. Wesley has his sights set on heaving the shot put 70 feet. He’s hoping to announce his college decision before the end of the season. Penn State, Arizona and Oregon’s Concordia, with its world-class throw center and 1976 Olympic gold medalist coach Mac Wilkins, are among his top choices.
“Wilkins is a well-known glider,” Wesley said. “He does the same technique that I do. I feel that (Concordia) might be the best fit for me.”
Carlton already has his college choices as well — big ones, too — such as USC, LSU, Kansas and Texas. He put himself in the national spotlight last year with a triple jump surpassing 48 feet at the Junior Olympics.
He’d like to compete in the real Olympics as well. He mentioned London and the 2012 Games, when he only be 19. More realistically, it’ll be further down the road, if at all. The three triple jumpers who represented the country in Beijing last year were 25, 26, and 31 years old, respectively.
For now, he can look forward to a possible trip to Italy for a national junior scholastic event in July.
Wesley has already used the sport to see some of the world and its greatest athletes. He competed at a meet in Puerto Rico last year and volunteered for the Melrose Games in New York City, mingling with the likes of 2008 Olympic gold medalist sprinter Usain Bolt and others.
Cornelia can’t help but smile proudly.
“How can I not?” she said. “We are so thankful.”
Kevin L. Hall can be reached at khall@thebulletin.us
Teams To Watch
1. North Penn
2. Upper Dublin
3. Malvern Prep
4. Central Bucks South
5. Cardinal O’Hara
6. Methacton
7. Abington
8. Friends’ Central
9. Lower Merion
10. Penn Charter
Still, there he was, gliding through agility exercises, light as a feather with the dexterity of a dancer. Sure, he’s strong, squatting over 700 pounds and bench-pressing nearly 400. But it’s his balance and grace that are his true strengths when the Methacton senior steps inside the throwing circle.
While there, watching him spin and twist, he catapults a shot put over 60 feet and hurls a discus out to 170 feet. The senior All-American quickly turns the competition into a chase for second place.
Younger brother Carlton, a junior, is another show-stealer. Ripped and muscled, with broad shoulders and springs for legs, the 16-year-old is gifted and versatile. Though a jumping specialist, it’s not unusual for Carlton to enter four events for Methacton.
Watching him launch himself nearly 50 feet in the triple jump, or sprint 100 meters in 11 seconds, you couldn’t imagine that just over a year ago, he was lying unconscious on a hospital gurney, staving off death with bleeding in his brain and a collapsed lung.
The result of a life-threatening car accident in January 2008, that’s where Carlton found himself — with tubes and wires connected to him like he was some kind of science experiment.
It brought his big brother to tears, about the only thing that could.
“There were tubes everywhere. I didn’t know what was going on,” Wesley recalled. “Then some idiot nurse said, ‘I don’t think he’ll be doing track for the year.’ You really don’t want to hear that.”
His mother, Cornelia, a nursing manager accustomed to such trauma, was shocked to see her youngest son in such a state.
“They didn’t know if he was going to make it,” she said. “It was really scary.”
At first, she thought the phone call she received at work was a misunderstanding.
“I don’t give him permission but to take a bus home,” she said. “I come to find out that my son has been in a car accident. I said, ‘That’s impossible.’”
But it was real. The car that Carlton had been riding in was T-boned by another car and flipped over a ridge. Rescuers needed the Jaws of Life to extract the unconscious boy.
A teacher at the school witnessed the accident and called for help. Within minutes, Carlton was on a helicopter and being taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The quick actions, and a seatbelt, may have saved his life.
Three weeks later, and against doctor’s orders, he was setting a meet record in the long jump at the Kevin Dare Invitational at Penn State.
“That’s just Carlton for you,” Wesley said.
“He’s just kept moving forward,” his mother added.
He had another setback late last year when he nearly broke his ankle landing after a dunk playing basketball in gym class. He missed most of the indoor season and is now just coming back around at “75, 80 percent.”
“My long jump is pretty much there, but I just can’t get that pop on the triple jump,” he said. “It’s just mental now because it does hurt sometimes and I’m hesitant to just slam on it like I used to.”
Yet the meet records, season bests, personal marks are all becoming routine for the big-time brothers of this year’s scholastic track and field season.
Just last weekend, at the 25th Pennsylvania Track Classic, more season and personal bests were set. Carlton sailed 23 feet, 3 ½ inches in the long jump. Wesley set personal marks for both the shot put (62-3) and discus (169-9). In fact, his shot put was the ninth best throw in the country this season, while his discus rated in at a national-best 13th.
The throwing coach at Methacton, Mark Constable, isn’t surprised.
“His footwork is tremendous,” Constable said. “And nobody works harder. He’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he’s explosive and powerful.”
And also deceptively quick.
Wesley thought his future was going to be on the football field. As a sophomore fullback for the school, he was a load to bring down — once tacklers could catch up with him.
The boys had been exposed to track and field earlier in their lives, as 10- and 11-year-olds, participating with the Mallery Playground Challengers when the family lived in Mount Airy.
“They were two little rascals,” Cornelia said. “Having fun, lots of energy.”
Whether it was football, baseball, basketball, chess, track, whatever, the duo excelled at it.
An early guiding force, Challengers coach Darrell Murphy, told them they needed to pick a sport and stick with it. It’s been that way throughout their careers, with coaches, teammates and friends helping them along the way.
Each has individual private coaches. Wesley trains with throwing specialist Barry Swanson. Carlton has thrice-weekly workouts with area jumping specialist Arnie “Doctor Jumps” Schiffrin and former three-time national indoor triple jumping champion Ron Livers.
“Everybody has been so unselfish. The people are so giving,” Cornelia said.
Following in the footsteps of Methacton great Ryann Krais, one of the state’s all-time best track athletes, rubbed off on them as well.
“Ryann is such a tremendous athlete,” Wesley said. “We wanted to do just as well as she did.”
Daryl and Cornelia Lavong, high school sweethearts from Bishop McDevitt who reacquainted after high school, eventually relocated to Norristown. Interest in track continued with Carlton, who learned the tricks of jumping while at Arcola Intermediate School.
The competition between the two ramped up as Wesley joined in.
“When Wesley started doing well, Cornelia said, “Carlton knew he had to try and do well.”
They’ve worked out an agreement — give each other enough space.
“During track, we’re tight. At home it’s like, he goes his way, I go my way,” Carlton said.
Though they may not always show it, there’s genuine brotherly love.
“They will tell you quickly, ‘Don’t put us in the same room, we’ll fight,’” Cornelia said. “But it’s just like little bickering. I don’t allow them to fight. Because once I step in, then it’s like, ‘Whoa.’”
Right now, they’re setting their own paths in their respective events. Wesley has his sights set on heaving the shot put 70 feet. He’s hoping to announce his college decision before the end of the season. Penn State, Arizona and Oregon’s Concordia, with its world-class throw center and 1976 Olympic gold medalist coach Mac Wilkins, are among his top choices.
“Wilkins is a well-known glider,” Wesley said. “He does the same technique that I do. I feel that (Concordia) might be the best fit for me.”
Carlton already has his college choices as well — big ones, too — such as USC, LSU, Kansas and Texas. He put himself in the national spotlight last year with a triple jump surpassing 48 feet at the Junior Olympics.
He’d like to compete in the real Olympics as well. He mentioned London and the 2012 Games, when he only be 19. More realistically, it’ll be further down the road, if at all. The three triple jumpers who represented the country in Beijing last year were 25, 26, and 31 years old, respectively.
For now, he can look forward to a possible trip to Italy for a national junior scholastic event in July.
Wesley has already used the sport to see some of the world and its greatest athletes. He competed at a meet in Puerto Rico last year and volunteered for the Melrose Games in New York City, mingling with the likes of 2008 Olympic gold medalist sprinter Usain Bolt and others.
Cornelia can’t help but smile proudly.
“How can I not?” she said. “We are so thankful.”
Kevin L. Hall can be reached at khall@thebulletin.us
Teams To Watch
1. North Penn
2. Upper Dublin
3. Malvern Prep
4. Central Bucks South
5. Cardinal O’Hara
6. Methacton
7. Abington
8. Friends’ Central
9. Lower Merion
10. Penn Charter
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