World record set at Highland Games

In Scottish heavyweight athletic events, all kinds of heavy things are flying around, from telephone poles (cabers) to weights to sacks of hay (sheafs).

Saturday at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, records were flying around, too, including a world record in the sheaf toss by Eric Frasure of Greenville, N.C.

Frasure eclipsed the old world record on his third and final try, tossing a burlap sack of hay over a bar 36'2" above the ground. The weight of the sheaf had to be certified to weigh at least 20 pounds before the world record was official. The 20.4 pound weight made the new record even more impressive.

The 25-year-old Frasure, who stands 6'4" tall and weighs 295 pounds is a young veteran of the Grandfather Games. He is proud of his Scottish ancestry and started coming to the games when he was 13. By age 15, he was competing on the field with the big guys. He chose the 2007 Grandfather Mountain Games to turn pro.

The previous world record of 36' 1" was set by Frasure, as well. The world's best sheaf tosser said the secret to tossing a sheaf is the same as hitting a long golf drive.

"My secret is to not try," Frasure said. "If I try, my muscles tense up. It's like visualizing driving a golf ball. You need long muscles. Don't try to crush it, just relax and pull through."

Two Grandfather Mountain field records were set as well, both by Larry Brock of Fayetteville, who got the competition off to a rousing start with a new record in the first event, the 56-pound weight thrown for distance. His new mark of 45'10" broke his old record of 45' set in 2004.

Brock was in a tight race for overall Athlete of the Games honors, so he made sure he took home his second straight title by setting a record in the 56-pound weight toss for height, the last event of the day. His toss of 17'8" wiped out the previous record of 17'6" held by four people.

Winning at Grandfather is not unusual for Brock. He won Athlete of the Games several times before spending five summers competing in Scotland. After returning last year, he won two more. It's not just at Grandfather that Brock wins. Earlier this year, he won the world championship event in Victoria, British Columbia.

The 31-year-old Brock is 6'3" tall and weighs 285 pounds. He was a three-time All-Southern Conference offensive lineman at Appalachian State University, graduating in 2002. He currently is the offensive line and strength coach for Western Harnett County High School.