Sports Spotlight: Akron-Westfield’s Ian Blowe blazing trails in shot put and discus State title defenses

AKRON, IOWA (KCAU) – Akron-Westfield’s Ian Blowe returns to the IHSAA State Track and Field Meet in Des Moines tomorrow to begin his title defenses in the Class 1A shot put and discus throw. He’s already rewritten school record books, and the senior thrower is working towards his biggest heave yet.

“I’ve been throwing pretty much my whole life, as long as I can remember,” Akron-Westfield senior Ian Blowe said.

Since 7th grade, Blowe has found comfort in the throwing circle. Both of them.

“My sister did it, she kind of got me into doing it. She competed with Nick Phelps and Kiana Phelps. I kind of watched Nick Phelps as he progressed along and I really just wanted to be like him,” Blowe said.

Inspired by the Kingsley-Pierson title winners, the senior has blazed his own trail as the first individual State champion in Akron-Westfield history. Breaking the school record to win the Class 1A State shot put title last year, then claiming the discus title the next day.

“It was honestly great. The previous years I’ve been kind of building up towards that. All the work I was putting in over the summer and offseason really paid off,” Blowe said.

Blowe has built off if this spring. Abbreviating his wrestling season to dedicate time towards a revamped lifting regimen, he’s rewritten multiple meet records throughout the season.

Sticking to pre-throw routines that’s allowed him to separate motions for each event, creating opportunity to fine-tune throws for top performance.

“I try to feel where my body is at in relation to the circle. I know if I land in the middle, stack on the right, I can really drive and get my whole body into the throw. That goes for both really,” Blowe said.

“With Ian by my side he’s pushed me,” Akron-Westfield junior Jordan Fay said. “Now I’ve gone from hitting 112 at the beginning of the season to hitting 140.”

Continuing to sharpen his craft, Blowe enters the State meet this Thursday as the top seed in the Class 1A shot and discus. Knowing the target he’s had on his back the entire season, the standout thrower says the most important opponent he’s focused on defeating is himself.

“There’s always been someone I’ve had to beat and now it’s just me competing with myself,” Blowe added.

Determined to defend his titles in Des Moines and cement his legacy for the Westerners, while living up to his billing as one of the top throwers in Iowa.

“He’s pushed himself from where he began to now,” Fay said.

“Really just trying to make this gap between me and second place as big as I can. Not just in Class 1A. I’d like to beat everyone’s mark,” Blowe stated.

The 2024 IHSAA State Track and Field Meet runs from May 16-18th at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. Blowe will compete in the Boys 1A shot put at 4:30 tomorrow and the Boys 1A discus on Friday at 4:30pm.

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