Local Valley 8th grader smashes state record books

MINERAL RIDGE , Ohio (WKBN) – Fourteen-year-old Jonathan Culp has smashed record after record this season in Mineral Ridge Track & Field.

The 8th grader throws shot put and discus for Mineral Ridge’s Junior High Track & Field team.

“He’s a hard worker, you don’t have to tell him things twice and he’s been around it forever,” said Mineral Ridge Track & Field coach Jon Culp. “He’s just been kind of fallen into place and he really enjoys it.”

This season, Culp broke all the Mineral Ridge school records for throwers. According to his coach, Culp also broke at least five shot put and disc meet records.

“I do it a lot for fun, sometimes I do it to break a record,” said Jonathan Culp. “But I just think about what I do and then I just throw it.”

Culp also won the Ohio Junior High Indoor State Championship while setting an indoor state meet record. He had a throw of 53’10”, which broke the old record of 48’5″ which was set in 2023.

“Sometimes a person would pop off a better throw than you and I was like, how will I respond to that?” said Culp. “Gives a sense of urgency to things, once you get that throw that’s better it’s like now you got this situation in your hands.”

Culp was born into throwing as his parents are both his track & field coaches at Mineral Ridge.

“We have videos pop up every year of him when he was four or five years old, throwing a shot put our in the driveway,” said Coach Culp. “Throwing a baseball like a shot put and stuff like that.”

According to his father, the 8th-grade star also set an Ohio state meet record with a shot put throw of 59’7″. Culp also received All-Ohio honors in track & field as an 8th grader.

“I don’t know there’s too many people that have thrown for that in the state in junior high,” said Coach Culp.

Culp will also be participating with the best track & field athletes in the country. He has qualified for the Adidas Track Nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina, starting June 14.

Culp said he has always been drawn to throwing because you have control over your own performance.

“There’s nothing much really like it, it’s own special thing,” said Culp. “There’s not many people that will affect how you perform, it’s your accomplishment at that point.”

Culp said he is excited to start his high school career with loads of experience from competing with kids across the nation.

“Very excited, I feel like some good things are going to happen next year,” said Culp. “I feel like it’s going to be fun to see.”

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