By Jim Davis Staff Writer

Standing at 6-foot-5, and weighing in at 235 pounds, Scarborough's Drew Geant is a man among boys.
 

A senior, Geant is in the midst of perfecting the craft of throwing a 12-pound shot put for the boys' indoor track team. He further legitimized his reputation as the state's best by outmuscling the field at last Saturday's Western Maine Class B Championships with a ho-hum toss of 53 feet, 11 inches. Geant's nearest competitor, Falmouth's Matthew Dissell, wasn't even a blimp on the radar screen with a respectable throw of 45-3.
 

With his presence on the University of Southern Maine's Gorham campus a mere formality, Geant used his performance as a tune-up for the Class B State Championships to be held on Feb. 19 at the University of Maine at Orono.
 

A veteran of the outdoor track arena, Geant gave up a spot on the Red Storm's basketball team this winter to aim his attention at the shot put.
 

"I enjoyed the competition in basketball, but I felt like the best decision for me was to focus on throwing," said Geant, moments before his first throw. "I still feel like it was a good decision."
 

During the regular season, Geant set the league record for the longest throw at 55-8. That toss helped him qualify for the National Championships, next month in New York City.
 

His natural build and brute strength have captured the eyes of Division I colleges in the northeast. Geant's had interest from schools in Maine, but is leaning toward a scholarship to Princeton University.
 

"I really like the campus and there seems to be a lot of opportunities for me, academically and in athletics," he said.
 

His shot put coach, Lisa Huntress, isn't afraid of using the word Olympics when discussing Geant's potential.
 

"It's really exciting to see this awkward, tall guy throw," said Huntress, a former collegiate shot putter and coach at the University of New Hampshire, who has coached Geant since the seventh grade.
"He's in the same class as the most elite throwers in this state, ever."
 

Unlike the competition in Class B, and perhaps even Class A, where, in the Southwestern Championships last week, two athletes broke 50 feet but would have lost to Geant by one yard, Geant expects to be pushed to his physical and mental limits in New York.
 

The way Geant's undefeated season has gone so far, it is unlikely he'll be challenged by anyone next week, but one motivating factor could remain in his quest to become a state champion.
 

The Class B shot put distance record is 55-11, set by Portland's Ed Bogdanovich in 1979.
 

Geant is within reach, but he concedes that records aren't the catalyst behind his success.
 

"Records are fun, and it's nice to be thought of in that way, but that's about all they are," he said. "My personal goals are more important to me."
 

Geant is as humble about his accomplishments as he is meticulous with his routine, as evidenced by the big toe poking through the sole of one of the lucky sneakers he's worn since his freshmen year.
 

He has been molded into a throwing machine, and he's driven by a motivation to learn. During the season, Geant hits the weight room, working on squats to improve his leg drive and the bench press for upper body strength. He studies film on his throws and watches videos of other athletes, looking for an edge.
 

Huntress and Geant have developed an admirable player-coach relationship, having spent several successful seasons together, including Huntress' current stint as head track coach in the spring.
 

"We definitely are close," Huntress said. "He's so willing to do the little things to get better and I can see him now as a mature thrower."
While Geant has hundreds, if not thousands, of throws in his résumé, there is a feeling that, at 18, he can polish his ability and take his craft to the international level.
 

"There's always self disappointment with him," Huntress said. "Every single thing is a goal for him. He deals with failure well and that's a reason why I think the sky's the limit."