Mattis Moving to the World Stage

It turns out the Mattis family used a touch of inspiration when they named their son.

Sam Mattis is a two-time state champ, he has the second longest discus throw among any high school student in the country this year, and he also has a chance to land on the United States junior team, something his namesake, Uncle Sam, would be proud of.

"I never even thought about it much, but it does seem fitting that someone named Sam ends up representing the United States," Marlon Mattis noted about his son.

Sam Mattis certainly has done a great job representing East Brunswick High. With his throw of 207' 2", he won the discus competition in The Meet of Champions on June 9 at Old Bridge. It's the second time in a row Mattis has won this title.

While any win at The Meet of Champions is impressive, Mattis took it to a whole different level. His winning throw was over 25 feet further than anyone else in the competition.

"I wasn't looking at the competition as much as myself," Mattis said. "I knew if I had a good throw, I'd probably win."

Mattis not only had a good throw, it was a personal best.

"Unless I did it at Nationals, there's no better place to get a personal best," Mattis said.

Mattis was so focused on putting up a great throw in the discus, he elected not to compete in the shot put. Even when rain and lightning pushed the finish of the shot put competition to June 13, Mattis didn't regret his decision.

His ability in the discus is taking Mattis places. He will compete in the Nationals next weekend in North Carolina. The following week, Mattis will compete in the World Youth Championships in North Carolina. For individuals born in 1994 or 1995, Mattis is currently the number one ranked discus thrower in the world.

According to Marlon Mattis, his son just always had a way with a discus.

"He's a gifted thrower," Mr. Mattis said. "The first time I saw that was when he was in eighth grade. I'm a former thrower myself and I know how difficult it is to get all the mechanics right. Sam's first throw was 77 feet. About a month later, he threw 137 feet. You could tell he understood all the mechanics that went into a throw."

Actually, Sam understands a lot. He's in four advanced placement classes and plays in an orchestra.

"He's just a hard-working kid that puts in a lot of time with his academics and athletics," Mr. Mattis said.

That hard work could earn Mattis a spot on the United States Youth team at the meet in South Carolina. If he lives up to his seeding, Mattis will be competing for the United States in France when July rolls around.

"If I make it there, that would be great," Mattis said. "Nothing better than representing the United States."

Especially when your name is Sam.