Submitted photo

Coming into the new track and field season, we expected to see a big spring for Arcata senior Skyler Collenberg.

But I’m not sure we expected him to start this fast.

On Tuesday, the Arcata standout broke his own school record in the shot put at the Cal Poly Humboldt High School Relays, throwing 56’ 4” to place first.

Last season Collenberg broke a 50-year-old school record in the event three times, including a season-best throw of 56’ 3.75” at the Nike Outdoor Nationals at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field in June.

On Tuesday, the record holder comfortably out-threw the field by almost 16 feet, with Eureka’s Malachi Brown (40’ 5.25”) placing second.

The record-setting performance was the second of the young season for the Arcata senior.

On Saturday, he traveled to compete at the Jim Crowhurst Track Extravaganza at Ukiah and broke the school record in the discus.

Collenberg threw a 167’ 6” and placed first in the event.

That broke his previous best distance in the discus by more than 21 feet and smashed the school record by almost 12 feet.

The previous school record in the event (155’ 7”) was set by Vic Macfredda back in 1975 and had stood for more than 50 years.

The outstanding Collenberg would break Macfredda’s mark again at Tuesday’s meet, throwing a 159’ 10” for his second first place of the day.