Track practice starting up

This week marked the first official day of track practice, and I could not have been more excited. As I begin my sophomore year, I feel significantly more comfortable and have a clearer understanding of what to expect compared to last year, when I was an apprehensive freshman. Over the offseason, I dedicated myself to improving and took my training to the next level. I ensured that I threw at least twice a week while lifting four times a week.

As a result, my leg strength is in a much better place compared to last year; however, my flexibility has noticeably declined. Unfortunately, this new lack of flexibility will make the first few practices more painful than they might have been. Nonetheless, I am already seeing improvement in my shotput distance, largely due to increased strength.

I have never been more confident in my technique and feel that I am just a few tweaks away from reaching my current potential. During high school, my main focus was on discus because I set my school record in that event. However, going into college, I realized that I had a better chance with the shotput than with discus. Over the last two offseasons, I have improved my shotput and even threw further with the 16lb shotput than with the 12lb shotput. This offseason, now that I am accustomed to the 16lb shotput, I feel that the possibilities are endless. While I still consider discus to be my main event, shotput is becoming my favorite.

Being able to learn from a 5-time All-American has been extremely helpful, and last year I had the opportunity to watch Keegan Digby place second in the nation in the shotput. I tried to pick up some aspects of his technique, and he is always incredibly helpful when I ask him questions. I believe that Keegan has truly paved the way for the throwing program here at Ohio Northern University, and I am extremely grateful for his guidance. I have been trying to model my technique after his and follow our coach’s advice in hopes of eventually becoming an All-American myself, though I’m not sure anyone could live up to being second in the nation.