I really got my
start in
baseball. I had
played since I
was five years
old and always
new that I could
throw hard. But
baseball was
only in the
summers. I
threw discus and
shot-put in
junior high just
for something to
do. My high
school didn't
have a baseball
team because we
were so small.
So I thought I
would stick with
track in the
spring and throw
javelin just to
keep my arm
going for
baseball in the
summer. If my
high school
would have had a
baseball team, I
would have never
touched a
javelin.
What aspects of
family and
support system
are important in
your
development?
My overall
support system
is the reason I
have thrown far.
I can count the
number of meets
that my family
has NOT come to
on one hand. I
have a large
extended family
and they have
been to most of
my sporting
events since I
could play
organized
sports. My
family may not
have known much
about javelin
but the hard
work and
competitive
nature that I
have is
definitely from
them. Always
knowing that
they are there
is a big help in
digging deep and
competing.
How has coaching
you have
received over
the years helped
you?
I have always
had good
coaching from
the start. My
high school
coach had
actually thrown
before, which is
better than
nothing. But he
definitely got
me headed in the
right direction.
Towards the end
of high school,
I had another
coach that
really pushed me
to the level to
actually throw
in college. He
was a
competitive
collegiate
thrower. Then I
had real
coaching once I
got to Arkansas.
Basically, all
previous
coaching had
just introduced
me to the
javelin. Andrew
McDonagh has
taken me from a
decent high
school thrower
to what I have
done today. He
has taken
training
techniques from
anywhere you can
think of. He
has experiences
of his own, and
we have put
these all
together. I
would certainly
not have thrown
as far as I have
if I didn't have
Andrew.
Which
experiences at
the national
powerhouse
University of
Arkansas molded
you?
Arkansas is the
best place to be
for track and
field. Most
people would not
think of
Arkansas as a
throwing
powerhouse, but
it has worked
great for me. I
came here to be
a part of the
best team in the
country. Just
being around all
the great
athletes has
really pushed me
to throw far.
When I first
got to Arkansas,
I didn't even
imagine I would
get to the level
I am now. But
working out next
to the best
sprinters,
jumpers, and
distance runners
in the world
makes you think
at a different
level. You have
to be great, or
you are left
behind. So,
even though I
was not
necessarily
pushed in
javelin, I was
pushed to be
great.
When do you know
that you are
ready to throw
far, what
specifically are
your
performance
benchmarks?
Javelin is a
great event
because we
really just
train to be
great athletes.
To do that we
have to pull
from every other
event's
workouts. This
gives us many
exercises to
test. I feel my
best when the
more athletic
exercises are
going well.
Those would be
sprinting,
overheads, and
bounding. I
also feel
confident when I
am lifting well,
but that needs
to be secondary
in javelin. I
would say the
two most
important tests
are overheads,
and the standing
long jump. When
those are high,
I feel great.
And an obvious
indicator would
be throwing well
in practice.
Especially
throwing far
with little to
no effort.
Describe
your training
leading up to
your best throw,
how did the
throw feel?
I have thrown
far in many
different
circumstances.
So I really
haven't had a
magic plan that
makes me throw
far. Leading up
to my throw at
the Kansas
Relays, I was in
one of the
hardest training
cycles of the
year. It was
still early in
the season so we
were lifting
heavy and doing
lots of reps in
every exercise.
Even though we
were training
hard, I was not
worn out. I
really felt
strong and
confident going
into that meet.
Having fifty
family members
and friends at
my "homecoming
meet" didn't
hurt either. I
felt great
during the meet.
Everything just
came a little
easier than
normal. I
remember being
very fast and
just getting rid
of the javelin
really quick.
But I can still
look at the
video and see
many technical
flaws.
What does your
current training
regiment look
like?
My current
training is
geared towards
strength and
power. This is
our heaviest
time of the year
in the weight
room. I have
eased into
everything this
year to make
sure that I am
at my best in
the summer, when
it is important.
All lifting, up
till now, has
just been
building a base.
I am finally
starting to get
some big numbers
in my big lifts
again. We are
also throwing
many heavy
implements.
These include
med balls,
weighted balls,
and actual
javelins.
Everything is
overweight to
build specific
power. And we
are always
working on
technique. I
really try to
refresh my
technique every
year. That
means starting
from scratch
with basic
drills and
working up to
throwing from a
full approach.
I spent a lot
more time on the
basic drills
this year and I
believe my
technique base
is much more
solid than it
has ever been.
Even though we
are putting an
emphasis on
strength,
throwing things
far is the
ultimate goal.
How is the post
collegiate
transition going
for you?
I
really don't
feel any
different than I
did while
throwing for
Arkansas. My
workout
situation has
not changed,
other than
adding a few
workout
partners.
Instead of
going to class
in the mornings,
I go to work. I
am still taking
classes for my
MBA. If
anything, I may
be a little
busier than I
used to be. I
thought my meet
schedule would
be a big change
this year, but
it ended up
being just as
planned as a
college season.
The only
difference this
year is that I
am shifting my
focus to later
in the summer.
What
competitions are
"in focus" for
you in 2007?
My first meet
this year will
be the Mt. Sac
Relays. The
opening meet is
always exciting
and it will be
fun to throw
with a good
group of guys.
I will go to
several more
meets after
this, but the
big focus of the
season needs to
be the US
Championships in
Indianapolis.
This meet will
decide the rest
of my season.
If I throw like
I have at
previous US
Champs, my
season will be
over. If I
throw like I
think I can, my
season will have
just started.
The US Champs
are the ticket
to having fun
and being able
to travel a bit.
What initial
advice would you
give a young
person taking up
the javelin
event?
My first piece
of advice would
be to just have
fun with it.
Don't get too
serious too
early. I just
did it for fun
at first and it
turned out to be
more fun when I
threw further.
The next thing
is to not worry
about lifting a
lot of weights.
Working out in
the weight room
is the easiest
thing to do, but
it will not help
you in the
beginning. My
main focus is to
be more
athletic. You
should be
running,
jumping, and
throwing all
kinds of things
before you lift.
Throwing
javelin is so
dynamic. Being
fast, agile, and
explosive is
much more
important than
having huge
lifting numbers.
The little
things are also
important in
javelin.
Flexibility is
the key to
success. Most
people do not
realize the
amount of
flexibility
required to
throw javelin.
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