New Canaan High School senior Alex Farina is the rare two-sport standout. The sports in which he excels make him totally unique.
Farina is 3-1 with one save for the Rams' baseball team. In the winter, he won the Class L state championship in the shot put. Farina says the skills in each are surprisingly similar.
"The release for pitching is shoulder oriented,'' Farina said. "For the shot put, it's a bench press. They both start from the stationary position. For pitching, it's the leg lift to generate torque. For the shot, it's keeping the shot over your right foot and turning your hips."
Farina has been pitching since he was about 10 years old. The shot put did not come along until his junior year at New Canaan. "At first, I was basically trying to throw like a baseball,'' Farina said. "Coach [Steve] Bedard did a good job of forming me into the thrower I became. It kind of worked out because I had strong legs. I don't have it down perfectly, but I improved a lot. Coach Bedard did a good job with me and I give him a lot of credit."
Farina, who also won the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference indoor title, ended the year with a personal best of 51 feet, 6 ½ inches. He improved by nearly 10 feet from his junior year. "A lot of it was experience, and a lot of it was working hard during the off season," he said. "I was just trying to get down the technique when the season started. I kept improving."
He started throwing the shot put to help him with baseball. "I thought it would build up arm strength,'' he said. "You're throwing an object with hip explosion."
On the baseball diamond this spring, Farina has continued to excel. He is the No. 1 pitcher for the Rams and will continue his baseball career at Lafayette in the fall. "Baseball is definitely my passion,'' Farina said. "I miss track a little bit. I still keep in touch with the guys. But baseball's number one.
Farina hopes the Rams can go a long way during the baseball season. The Rams pulled off a huge upset Friday when they defeated Staples, 8-7. Farina got the final six outs to nail down the victory.
"Alex is having a lot of fun,'' baseball coach Mitch Hoffman said. "He has a good mental approach, and he comes in and throws strikes. He's having a great year."
What do you think of Alex Farina's combination of sports talents? Start the discussion below!
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