McCullough Takes His Turn Tossing the Hammer Well

Many times, one of the best places to practice a sports skill is the family backyard, whether it’s swimming, putting, kicking a soccer ball or shooting a basketball.

Conor McCullough has a little problem, though.

His specialty is the hammer throw, and if he were to fling one of the 12-pound iron balls attached to a wire in his backyard, the neighbors would be speed dialing 911.

“I think it might go three or four houses down the block, and we’d be in trouble,” said his father, Conor.

McCullough’s neighbors can rest easy. The 15-year-old sophomore from West Hills Chaminade does his throwing at a local junior college, and for good reason. He’s the No. 1 hammer thrower in the nation for his age group.

In June, he set a national freshman record with a mark of 213 feet. A week later, he won the intermediate boys’ championship at the USA Youth track & field championships in North Carolina.

His father was an Olympic hammer thrower for Ireland in 1984 and 1988 and serves as his coach.

McCullough trains in virtual anonymity because only one state, Rhode Island, recognizes the hammer throw as an official high school event.

McCullough made dramatic improvement during his two months of summer competition, then took off in early July to visit his grandparents in Ireland, where he spent almost two months working on a farm.

That meant he got to drive a tractor and chase sheep.

“It was fun, but frustrating when they dove into the river,” McCullough said of his sheep-herding experience.

At 6 feet 4 and 190 pounds, McCullough would seem an ideal candidate to play for Chaminade’s football team. Though he’s devoted to the hammer throw, he also plays basketball in the winter and competed in the shotput last spring for the Eagles.

“You have to put everything into it,” he said of the hammer throw. “It’s a rush, and you watch it fly really high.”

McCullough makes three full turns in the throwing ring before releasing the ball.

“It’s a great combination of technique, speed and discipline to make it go far,” the elder McCullough said. “It’s not just a strength event.”

Classmates are beginning to find out just how good McCullough is.

“The people at school have slowly heard my name,” he said.

Soon, he’ll be getting a driver’s license, though he might not want to tell anyone about his little accident this summer on the tractor.

“I crashed into a wall,” he said. “I didn’t make any serious damage.”

McCullough wasn’t the only high school athlete who made impressive progress in the summer months.

Other notable performers:

* Brett Hays, La Verne Bonita, Sr. Hays was the Southern Section Division VI player of the year in water polo, but it was his summer performance that elevated him into a top college prospect.

* Jordan Hamilton, Los Angeles Dorsey, So. The 6-foot-7 shooting guard was listed by one recruiting service among the top basketball players for his grade in the nation after the summer tournament circuit.

Hamilton didn’t break into the Dorsey starting lineup until late in his freshman year. He’s highly regarded for his work ethic and improving shooting touch. His brother, Gary, played at Miami.

“I shot about 400 jumpers a day,” Hamilton said of his workout routine.

* Brian Scilacci, Los Angeles Loyola, Jr. The 6-3 volleyball player helped his club team win the 17-and-under national title and made all-tournament.

* Mike Stanton, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Sr. There might not be a better athlete than the 6-4 Stanton, who starts at defensive back and receiver for the football team, starts at forward for the basketball team and starts in the outfield for the baseball team.

During batting practice at the Area Code Games at Blair Field in Long Beach, Stanton wooed pro scouts by hitting multiple balls out of the park.

* Jesse Meaux, Glendale, Sr. The 6-4 right-handed pitcher stamped himself as a player to watch because of his improving velocity and consistency.

* Malcolm Campbell, Los Angeles Fairfax, Sr. The 6-9 center was a reserve last season but has earned his way into the starting lineup with steady progress as a rebounder while gaining better coordination.

* Amber Oland, Santa Ana Foothill, Sr. Oland established herself as perhaps the best female water polo goalie in the Southland.