Photo Provided Union Local senior Johnny Sabinski is pictured with his parents, Kamy, left, and John, right. Sabinski signed a NCAA National Letter-of-Intent to attend the University of Louisville on a track scholarship.

MORRISTOWN — From the OVAC to the ACC with one big throw.

Union Local weightman Johnny Sabinski recently signed his NCAA national letter-of-intent to attend Louisville University on a track scholarship. He has placed in the Ohio state meet the last two years in the discus and shot put. He was fourth in the shot as a sophomore and moved up to second as a junior. He was also fourth in the discus as a junior.

“When I started out (the recruiting process) I thought about playing football, but when Louisville contacted me and I visited there, I fell in love,” Sabinski explained of his college choice. “I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

The Jets senior said he will compete in both throwing events for the Cardinals.

When asked if he preferred one event over the other, the 6-1, 250-pounder said, “It depends on the season. Right now I would say shot put because I just went through an entire indoor season throwing the shot.”

Before leaving the Ohio Valley, Sabinski boldly said he would like to break an Ohio Valley record, or maybe even records.

“Hopefully, I can break the Ohio Valley all-time discus mark,” he added. “Or any one of them.”

The discus mark is held by Bellaire’s Cole LaRoche of 189-feet, 2-inches set in 2022. The shot put record was set back in 2009 by River’s D.J. Duke of 68-feet, 8.25 inches, which is an Ohio Division III state record, as well.

Sabinski’s personal bests are 62-feet, 8-inches in the shot put and 180-feet, 7-inches in the discus.

“Honestly, the shot put is probably harder to throw because it’s really easy to spin around with a discus in your hand because it’s light,” Sabinski noted. “But when you’re trying to spin with a 12-pound ball in your hand, it’s a lot more difficult.”

Sabinski said he will major in business administration.

“It’s a dream come true. All the hard work I put in finally paid off. I’m excited about throwing at the next level. It’s going to be difficult at first, but I’m going to give it my best shot.”

He is the son of Kamy and John Sabinski.

“They are the reason I’m in this position. I wouldn’t be here without them,” he said of his parents, Kamy and John Sabinski. “They have supported me, not only in track, but in any sporting event.”

He also wanted to thank his throwing coach, Coach Heslop.

“He’s been with me all four years,” Sabinski said.

He said he got a couple D-II and D-III looks for football and also received feelers for track from Akron University and the University of Pitt.

“(Louisville assistant track coach and throwing coach) Coach (Cory) Martin is the one that really saw something in me,” Sabinski admitted. “”He watched a film of one of my football games and said I should be arrested for assault. He liked the way I played physically. He said my throwing skills might be raw and my form might not be there, but he said he can get me there.”