SHIPPENSBURG - Every day before practice, Tyrell Sales gazed at the Butler High School track and field record board.

He longed to see his name up there one day. He wished to erase the name of Jim McElhaney in the discus and replace it with his.

But with each meet, each controlled torque of his body and release of the discus, he fell painfully short.

A few inches here, a mere foot there and Sales' frustration swirled faster than the discus he threw.

The number, which he can rattle off without hesitation, haunted him - 173 feet, 3 inches.

It haunts him no more.

Friday morning at the PIAA Track and Field Championships in Shippensburg, Sales finally broke the school record he so craved, recording a throw of 173 feet, 6 inches, which was good enough for third in Class AAA.

But more importantly to Sales, it was good enough for first at Butler High School.

"It means a lot," Sales said with a big grin on his face. "Since the 10th grade, breaking that record has been my goal."

The record set by McElhaney had stood since 1982 and had been the best recorded by a Butler County athlete. Sales actually broke it twice, recording another throw of 173-5 later in the competition.

"No one can say it was just one big throw," said Butler boys track and field coach Rick Schontz. "He earned it."

Despite Sales' three throws of more than 170 feet, no one could touch Central Dauphin's Ryan Whiting, who won the event with a throw of better than 193 feet, which is a PIAA record by more than eight inches.

Sales was topping out in the mid-160s in the weeks leading up to the state meet, which further frustrated the senior.

"Finally, I broke through," he said.

Sales finished sixth in the event last year. His throws this year would have been good enough for a state championship in 2003.

But this year was unlike any other year in the event as four competitors broke 170 feet.

"The guy who won is only a junior and he'd been throwing 195 feet," Sales said. "He'll probably throw 200 feet next year. I had second wrapped up until the final throw, but that's OK. I just wanted to finish in the top three."

Sales struggled early but reached 173-6 on his final throw of the preliminaries to head into the finals in second place.

He threw better than 170 feet in two of his three throws in the finals, but was eclipsed for second place on the final throw by Kirk Devine, who beat Sales' best effort by six inches.

Still, Sales was satisfied with his last crack at the state meet.

And so was Schontz.

"He had some lofty goals," Schontz said. "What a fitting way to end a great athletic career at Butler in three sports. It's kind of overwhelming that he finally (broke the school record). To throw a discus 170 feet - 160 feet, even - takes a lot of athletic ability. It's kind of sad that he probably will never throw a discus again."

Sales will play football at Penn State next fall. His discus days are most likely over.

But that's OK with Sales. He'd rather throw running backs to the ground next season for Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions.

"I got my (personal record)," Sales said. "I can't ask for anything more."