Matt Schandelmeier won't be taken by surprise so easily again.

He thought he was ready for the throngs of people, the atmosphere, the shear hugeness of the PIAA Track and Field Championships atShippensburg University last season when the then-Moniteau junior qualified for it in the shot put, discus and javelin.

He thought he was prepared to do battle with the best the state had to offer.

But when he got there, he was rudely awakened.

"I learned not be be as nervous," said Schandelmeier, now most of the way through his senior season with the Warriors. "I learned to just think of it as just another track meet. Last year when I went out there, I was like, 'Oh my gosh. This is huge.' You go to a number of big meets throughout the season, but the state meet just dwarfs them all."

Schandelmeier now feels like he is wiser and ready for the challenges the state meet offers even the best of athletes.

And he certainly qualifies as one of the best of athletes.

He will play football at California (Pa.) University in the fall after concluding a stellar high school career as a fullback/linebacker/defensive end for the Warriors.

This spring will perhaps be his last on the track in his career.

He's making it a good one.

Last week at the Mars Invitational, he broke a 40-year-old school record in the shot put with a throw of 54 feet. The previous record of 53 feet, 1 inch was set in 1966 by EarlDundorf.

On Wednesday, Schandelmeier eclipsed the school javelin mark with a toss of 189-8. The previous record, set with the old-weighted javelin by Dave Franz, was 187-10.

"If he threw the old javelin," said Moniteau boys track and field coach Mark Kosick, "he'd throw it over 200 feet."

The only throwing record Schandelmeier has yet to claim as his own is the discus mark of 157-1 set in 1968 by Tom Banks. Schandelmeier is just two inches off that mark.

"One of my goals was to set all three records," Schandelmeier said. "I have one more to go."

But his biggest goal remains to get back to Shippensburg and erase the bad feeling he had there last year as a junior.

Schandelmeier didn't get close to placing in any of the throwing events at state last year.

"That's probably my biggest goal of all," he said. "To get back to states and win medals."

There isn't anything on the track or in the field that he won't try.

Schandelmeier runs a leg of the sprint relay and also runs the 100-meter dash. He posted a time of 11.4 seconds in that event Wednesday.

Sometimes Kosick wonders if he is spreading his star too thin.

"Yeah, maybe, I don't know," he said. "He does three throws, and there is a lot of technique involved in each of them."

But if he is getting spread too thin, it doesn't show up in his distances or times.

Schandelmeier is poised to make quite a showing this year inShippensburg, if everything goes to plan at the District 9 meet next Friday in Brookville.

Schandelmeier doesn't mind dabbling in multiple events.

"I like doing all four events," he said. "Running the 100 keeps me in shape, keeps my speed up for football. The throwing events keep me stronger for football."

Schandelmeier originally signed on for the track and field team at Moniteau during his sophomore season because of football.

He thought track would keep him in shape for the rigors of the following football season.

He said he had no idea what to expect, or even how good he would be.

Last year, he found out.

The scary part is Schandelmeier still has a lot of room for improvement.

"Even when he throws 140s and 150s in the discus, his throwing coach (John Miloszewski) still says, 'Oh, gosh, he still has a lot of work to do,'" Kosick said.

Schandlemeier readily admits his technique sometimes leaves a lot to be desired.

"My form is far from great," Schandlemeier said. "If I can get my form down, who knows how far I can throw."

Kosick believes the discus is the most natural throw for Schandelmeier because of his build and long arms.

At this point, the coach and the student could care less what event yields the biggest prize at the end of the season, as long as prizes are yielded.

"He's a laid-back kind of kid," Kosick said. "But he wants to bring medals home."