LHS junior wins national shot put title

? Lawrence native Blake Hocking captured a gold medal in the shot put at the AAU Junior Olympics on Thursday in Norfolk, Va.

Hocking, 16, set a personal record of 56 feet, 3 1/4 inches in the intermediate boys event that had 58 competitors.

Hocking, who competed for the Lions track and field team, had a previous-best mark of 54-6 last spring. He’s altered his technique a bit and has worked out at LHS and Kansas University to improve his results.

Hocking took second at the AAU event last year. He’ll be a junior at Lawrence High in the fall.