ESPN W Feature on Maggie Ewen

"It feels really good to help try and promote the throws in general, even within the eyes of track and field followers," Ewen said. "I think I'm helping bring throwing to the surface a little bit and helping people realize, 'This is a thing. This is a really neat thing.'"

ESPN Story HERE

Gopher Men's Throwers Ready for NCAAs

Ferratti, Johnson pace #Gophers to NCAA Indoor Championships. @Dave_Schwartz reports https://t.co/5z6V04QH03 pic.twitter.com/iGq40m9wyP

— KARE 11 (@kare11) March 8, 2016

Gopher Women Throwers Have Depth, Hope for Records; Indoor schedule

The #Gophers throwers are poised for another record-breaking season. https://t.co/xcvhjVCSKa pic.twitter.com/VtL368rwV0

— Minnesota W TrackCC (@GopherWCCTF) January 5, 2016

Indoor schedule highlights HERE

More Recruit News: Katie Taylor to Winona State

The Warrior family is excited to announce the addition of Katie Taylor (Throws - Hayward, WI)! #Warriors pic.twitter.com/xmdRdwjUjW

— Winona State T&F (@WinonaStateTF) November 18, 2015

Mac's Mission

Mac Wilkins. Photo courtesty of
USATF

Mac Wilkins is on a mission.  He wants to return his event to the status it once held in the US.  "I came from an era when the discus in the US was successful because there were a lot of entrepreneurial geniuses," Wilkins said.  It was the era of Olympic and World Champions who were from the US, not Germany or elsewhere.

Since that time--Wilkins was the last Olympic medallist winning a silver medal in the 1984 Games along with John Powell's bronze--medals have been hard to come by for US male throwers.

Stephanie Brown Trafton won a gold medal in women's discus at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Prior to that for the women there was only Leslie Deniz's silver from 1984. The peak of US women's discus throwing came in the 1928 and 1932 Games where Lillian Copeland won a silver in 1928 and a gold in 1932 where she was joined on the podium by Ruth Osburn who won the silver.

One medal in 30 years for the men is not acceptable for Wilkins, who has made a commitment in his post competitive life to attempt to change that.  He coached at Concordia College in Oregon and also created a throws center there to help train elite throwers who were attempting to fulfil their dreams of World and Olympic glory in the discus.  He also made frequent trips to the SPIRE Academy in Ohio to conduct clinics and teach the next generation of throwers and coaches. The rationale being that you want to tutor kids at a young age about the correct technique, so they don't have to attempt to relearn or retrain themselves later.

The discus is unique on the Olympic program as the only event at either the World Championships or the Olympics where a World Record has not been set in those competitions.  Wilkins knows a bit about setting records as he broke the men's discus record three times in one day back in 1976 becoming the first man to throw over 70 meters.

In 2013 Wilkins took a position at the USATF High Performance Center in Chula Vista to continue the work he began at Concordia through at least the 2016 Olympics in Rio.  "I'm a resource for anybody who's attempting to follow their dreams...to help set up the best out-of-college throwers to go pro."  Throwers are not the "rock stars" of track and field, and there is very little financial support to allow those with Olympic aspirations to be able to reach the top of their sport without significant financial hardship.

Wilkins is hoping that USATF's recent talk of using some of the increase in sponsor money for the athletes results in monetary support for those who need it most.  That attempts, such as the staging of the shot put competition in the shadow of the Capitol Dome in Sacramento, improve the image and public recognition of the throws.

Wilkins is putting his efforts into the fundamentals, teaching the coaches and athletes of today at a young age the basics of training, the road to success in the event.  His trip to the Minnesota High School Track and Field Coaches Clinic is part of that effort.  Wilkins wants to spread around his love for the event, his passion.  "It's an act of love, an act of passion," he says about his "evangelical" mission to spread the gospel of discus throwing.  If you have  that passion, says Wilkins.  "You are compelled to share your passion.  It doesn't do any good to keep it to yourself."

Wilkins will be presenting four sessions at the clinic, two on Friday and two on Saturday.  The full schedule is HERE.

News Bits

Perham Focus story on latest Perham XC boys team win, plus MSHSL's John Millea story on the Perham program is HERE.

Results from the Pierz Pioneer Stampede races are HERE (scroll down to September 16, 2013).

Worthington Daily Globe story on the Turkey Day 10K road race is HERE.

EuropeanAthletics.org  story on Gopher grad and Olympic javelin champion, Barbora Spotakova,  on her return to competition after giving birth to her first child in May is HERE.

Wayzata, Edina, Stillwater listed in national/regional Running Times rankings. Boys(HERE) and girls(click on the link at the bottom of the boys' rankings)

Minnesota Daily article on the Gopher women's redshirt sophomores is HERE.

Liz Podominick Returns Home

Liz Podominick is coming back to Minnesota for a few days and some friends of hers are hosting a fundraiser.  Details are below:

Liz Podominick's Post Worlds Interview

Amanda Bingson(hammer), Alyssa Hasslen
(shot),  and Liz Podominick in the stadium
in Moscow

For Liz Podominick the IAAF World Championships in Moscow was her first step on the international stage as a competitor.  She hopes to take what she learned from the experience and apply it to get to the next level where she's not merely participating but in the thick of the competition.  Below she shares her thoughts on the experience and photos from her time in Moscow

Down the Backstretch: Moscow as your first World Championship experience, was it what you expected or did some things surprise you?

Liz Podominick: I can say yes and yes. USATF, the support staff and other athletes, did an amazing job in preparing me on what to expect. Things like the warm-up/check-in procedures, the walk-through the day prior to the start of competition to "test" the circle, etc. They were really well explained, and if I had a question, they made sure to find the answer. 

I understand the scope of the logistics involved for such a huge event from my work experience with US Figure Skating, but it also amazed me being on the athlete side this time. I cannot even begin to say how thankful I am for what everyone did. I really did not have to focus on anything else but my competition and getting ready for it. I felt truly blessed.

DtB: You said one takeaway from the competition was that you belonged in that sort of competition.  Did you have doubts doing in?  If so what convinced you that you could hold your own at the top level of the sport?

LP: While I was nervous to compete, they were the typical performance nerves. I didn't feel wide-eyed and unsure when I walked into the stadium. I had a sort of inner peace that this was the start of something huge for me. This same sort of thing happened to me when I started to compete at the national stage as a post-collegiate three years ago, I just knew I belonged but it was going to take some time. 

My marks were not indicative of how I actually threw. My last two throws may have gotten me into the finals, but I just couldn't quite save them. I am proud that I knew what adjustments to make without my coach being there. 

A lot of the women competing were not throwing at their best. I was not the only one nervous to compete. I know I am on the right track, but I also realize now that I need more international experience. Little things like just adjusting to international travel and a drastically different time zone, as well as my body's reaction to jet lag and a longer season was invaluable. I made sure to note how my body was feeling so that I can be better prepared for future international events. 

DtB:  Was there anything from the experience that stood out?  Either on or off the track?

LP: Some of it is really hard to put in words and you have to be there to understand it. But just hanging out with the other athletes from Team USA (and other countries) after competing is a memory that I will have forever. The inspiration I found watching other athletes compete for their country is addictive and the chance to be a part of it makes me determined to be back at that stage again. 

It's just a whole different level of understanding and confidence I have gained just by going through the experience. I truly believe it's going to carry over into next season and the seasons to come.

Decathlete Gunnar Nixon, Podominick, Jeremy Taiwo(decathlon),
and Hasslen in Moscow.

DtB:  You said going in that the goal was to make the final.  You didn’t do that, but did you observe what it takes to get to the next level?  What it will take for you to go one step further next time?

LP: Mostly I realized that what I am doing is taking me on the correct path. I just need more time to develop. Some of it comes down to strength, which just takes time, and many of the habits that I have been trying to break need to be fixed. It's very encouraging. I believe that the next time I am in that situation, I will have the experience and skills to compete with the best!

DtB:  Your coach, Mac Wilkins, is moving down to the OTC in Chula Vista.  You’ve applied to train there.  How does that process go?  What are the criteria?  When will you know whether you’re in or not?

LP: I am waiting to get the final approval that I am in, but I meet all the criteria (A standard, showing improvement, made a team, etc.). So, I am in the process of selling/donating a lot of my stuff, squeezing a visit home (with a possible small fundraiser fit into the tight schedule), getting an agent, and planning for the next season. 

DtB:  You haven’t just been training for the discus, but you were defending your thesis in between Nationals and the World Championships.  What’s the subject?  How did that go?

LP: I definitely had a lot on my plate, which was of my own doing, but it needed to get done. It took a bit of a toll on my training and body. My thesis examined how physical activity is portrayed across the lifespan in women's magazines. 

t was an interesting subject to me and found some results that will hopefully impact future research. I passed the oral defense (in July before leaving for Worlds), and I just found out today that my final draft has been approved, so it literally feels like a ton has been lifted off my shoulders! I am waiting for it to sink in...

Brittany Borman(javelin), Hasslen, Tia Brooks(shot put)
Podominick, and Inika McPherson(high jump)
at the airport

Maggie Ewen Wins Silver in Pan Am Juniors Discus

Maggie Ewen finished second in the Pan Am Junior Championship discus on Saturday in Columbia.  She led the competition with her final throw, but took the silver with a toss of 50.49m/165' 7" as Brazil's Izabela da Silva had a huge last throw of 54.15m/177' 7.75".

 "I felt pretty good on my first two throws," Ewen said.  "When I got to my last one I decided I needed a big one. My legs were slow today, I was really tired. The key was just to get my mind right. I feel like I could have done more." Results with the full series of each thrower are HERE.

Maggie Ewen at the MSHSL Championships
Photo by Gene Niemi

In the Circle: Podominick at Worlds

Lakeville native Liz Podominick kicks off world championships in the women's discus. Follow her live HERE

Star Tribune earlier this week featuring Liz Podominick: HERE.  

Post championship interview from USATF Championships last month HERE. 

Gopher alum Peter Miller Named New Women's Throw Coach

Peter Miller has joined the University of Minnesota women’s track and field staff as an assistant coach for throws, program director Matt Bingle announced today. Miller, a former Golden Gopher student-athlete, will replace recently retired assistant coach Lynne Anderson.

“I am very excited to announce the hiring of Peter Miller as our next throws coach at the University of Minnesota,” Bingle said. “He will bring a great deal of energy to our program and a blue collar attitude to our staff. We are happy to have Peter on board and we are looking forward to the future.”

Miller returns to his alma mater after two seasons as the throws coach for the University of North Dakota men’s and women’s teams.  During the 2013 season, UND’s first year in the Big Sky Conference, he coached two student-athletes to all-conference honors. The UND throwing group also fielded its first two NCAA West Preliminary Round competitors.

In 2012, Miller’s throwers broke eight school records and won three Great West Conference titles. Chantel Urban earned GWC Freshman of the Year accolades after three top-five conference championship finishes under Miller’s tutelage. In addition to his success as a coach, Miller also helped facilitate the addition of a hammer cage to UND’s practice facilities. 

Prior to his arrival at UND, Miller coached throws and combined events at Wisconsin-River Falls for three years. He mentored NCAA Division III meet qualifiers, including a third-place finisher, throughout his tenure. UWRF’s women’s javelin throwers posted a 1-2 finish at the 2011 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships, and the men’s hammer and weight throwers broke school records.

During two seasons coordinating the Falcons' strength and conditioning program, Miller's student-athletes broke 27 school records and earned 13 All-America awards. He was also heavily involved in track and field winter camps as both a director and instructor, and coordinated the UWRF track program's $10,000-per-year fundraising efforts.

Miller captained the Gopher track and field team as a senior. He earned three letters and three Academic All-Big Ten selections, along with five University of Minnesota Scholar Student-Athlete awards. Miller earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2008 and is pursuing a master’s in business administration.

Liz Podominick on Her Way to Moscow

Liz Podominick is the only Minnesota athlete with a guaranteed spot on the US team for the IAAF World Championships in Moscow in August.  The graduate of Lakeville and the University of Minnesota finished third at the US Championships in Des Moines to qualify.  Despite a hip injury that threatened her season, she PRed twice and threw and A standard qualifier for the World Championships.  Below she talks about her progress in the event, coaching change, and what she hopes to be able to do in Moscow.

Liz Podominick
Photo by
Becky Miller

Down the Backstretch: Since the last time we talked(2011) you have “taken the plunge” to devote yourself to your “athletic side.”  What was the thought process on making that decision?

Liz Podominick:  I came to the realization that I could work a 'grown up' job anytime and that my time for an athletic career is limited. This is the time to pursue something that I will not be able to do ten years from now and I know I would regret it if I did not give myself a chance. 

DtB:  You had a website and a Twitter account(LizPodominator) where you were using social media to raise funds for your quest to make the Olympic team in 2012.  How did that come about?  Was it financially beneficial, something you might try again?

LP:  One one my best friends from high school, Rachael, and her family suggested that I do a fundraiser. Thank you Peterson family. They know me well and that it is hard for me to ask for things, so they made the offer to help organize it. We sat down one weekend to figure out the details and then they took it beyond something I could ever imagine. 

So many people from the Lakeville community, and beyond, came out to support me and I would not have been able to pursue making an Olympic Team or even the World Team this year without the money. I am truly blessed to have that kind of support and I will definitely consider doing another one...probably closer to 2016(smiles).

DtB:  Now you’re part of Mac Wilkins’ throws group.  Mac has some history with throwers with Minnesota ties as he helped out Lynn Anderson, who coached you at the University of Minnesota.  How did you become part of Mac’s group?

LP: I actually met Mac in 2011 at the Tucson Elite Throwers Classic at the University of Arizona. He was there to do some consulting for the athletes on the 'elite' list at the time. I had a decent showing and caught his attention. After the meet, we sat and talked, and drilled, about technique for awhile and he made the offer to work with me if I was interested. 

Last year I flew out to Portland to work with him for a week every couple of months (with the money raised from the fundraiser) and then always seem to have a big break through shortly after. When it came to the new quad cycle, I knew I needed to work with Mac full time and took a leap of faith when I moved out here in September.

DtB:  You had a hip injury this winter.  What happened and how did it impact your season?

LP:  I initially thought I had a hip impingement, but thankfully I had Dr. David McHenry from PACE look at my hip and discovered that my external rotators where weak. After a bunch of rehab and some rest time, I was able to start lifting and throwing again. 

I lost about a month of training in the winter, and I guess I will have no real way of knowing how it impacted my season. Obviously I did not get the amount of time in the weight room or the circle that I needed, but I do believe that I made a nice recovery and also know the warning signs to prevent something like this from happening in the future. Everything happens for a reason, so I try not to look back.

DtB:  You’ve made big progress this year with two PRs in the outdoor season—206’4” and 208’9”.  What improvements, adjustments have you made to allow you to get to this level?

LP:  Working with Mac has taken my understanding of the discus to a whole new level. So much of throwing is about rhythm and timing, which is something we have worked on a lot this year. My specific strength has also drastically improved, and I have taken more throws this season than I ever have before. Often time is the answer, and another year of throwing also helps add some distance, especially when I work with a coach of Mac's caliber.

I have also continued to work on the sport psych and nutrition side of training/competition and have been blessed to have more access to these services this year. Little things like being reminded to focus on what I can control, and even when to eat so my body is not depleted, can make the difference between staying where I was at or advancing to the next level.

DtB:  Your all time Minnesota shot put mark was beaten this year by Maggie Ewen, who was at the Junior Nationals in Des Moines and won the discus with a big PR of 179’6”.  Did you get a chance to meet Maggie? 

LP:  I actually got to meet her in Des Moines! I was watching my training partner in the men's disc and my high school coach introduced us. I was so glad to meet her face to face and congratulate her on breaking the record. She has such a bright future and I cannot wait to see what she does at ASU. 

People sometimes forget how many great throwers the state of Minnesota has produced, and I am so happy to see another one!

DtB:  Both you and Maggie struggled a bit in the early throws in the competition, but eventually threw far enough to accomplish some of what you wanted to do(you wanted to make the team; Maggie wanted to throw over 180).  Both had a bit of “nerves.”  Maggie said her dad told her to relax and have fun, don’t try to do too much.  What worked for you?

LP:  I just continued to work on focusing on the cues that had been working for me at training all week. Throwing is so much feeling and rhythm,  and I was just trying to find that feeling and rhythm throughout the competition.

DtB:  What’s next for you?  Will you compete, either in the US or in Europe, prior to Moscow?

 LP: I plan on competing at some domestic meets prior to Moscow and then head for training camp at the end of July in Austria. I have not planned any international competitions, partly because I do not have those connections. I think I need to get an agent.

DtB:  Stephanie Trafton won in Beijing throwing under your PR.  Anything can happen in an event on the bigger stages.  What are your goals going into Moscow?

LP: My goal is to make the cut for the next day of competition. While I am absolutely thrilled to make the team, I also want to do something while I am there. I could have just three throws and be done, but I am going to do everything I can to make it to the finals. That includes continuing to work on the rhythm and feel like I have been all season and trust that a big throw will be there when it counts!

DtB:  Aside from making an Olympic team, which is the logical next step, what are the plans for beyond Moscow or are you an “in the moment” person, taking it one step at a time?

LP: Well, I really need to start making some money in order to keep doing this. It has not been easy and I am pretty much tapped out financially. I know I need to actively pursue getting an agent and be more aggressive on getting some sponsorship. While I never know what will happen next, it always seems to work out. I just place my trust in God that he puts me in situations that are part of His plan.

Becky Miller's USATF Photo Album, Day Four

Medal winners in the discus. (L to R: Witney Ashley(2nd),
Gia Lewis-Smallwood(1st), and Liz Podominick(3rd).
Photo by Becky Miller

Liz Podominick

Rachle Longfors, 2001 Class A MSHSL discus champ, who finished
eighth in the USATF champs.  Photo by Becky Miller

USATF Champs News and Notes

Chicago Tribune story on Mary Cain is HERE.
Runnerspace video interview with Maggie Ewen is HERE.

Becky Miller USATF Photo Album Day Two

Ben Blankenship in the 1500 heats.
Photo by Becky Miller

Quentin Mege in the Hammer Throw.
Photo by Becky Miller

Wally Ellenson in the High Jump.
Photo by Becky Miller

Harun Abda in the 800
Photo by Becky Miller

Feature on Liz Podominick and Other Mac Wilkins Throwers

Oregonian article on Liz Podominick and the other Mac Wilkins Throwers club athletes competing for at the USATF Championships this week is HERE.

Ewen Goes Out in Style With Near National Record Shot Put

Maggie Ewen posed by the electronic scoreboard that flashes
the distance of each throw.  Inexplicably when this shot
was taken with an iPad Ewen's winning throw
distance was displayed on the screen, but not
here in the finished photo. The wonders of
modern technology.

Maggie Ewen's start to her last Minnesota State High School League Championship was almost comical, while her finish had the crowd around the shot put ring clapping and cheering her on as she once again rewrote the record book for girls throwing in Minnesota.  She had hoped to break both her State discus and shot put meet records, but she fell short in the discus.

Her first throw in that event wobbled like a wounded duck and crashed to the turf well short of what she intended.  "I've been practicing snapping my wrist in the shot," she said.  "And I snapped my wrist on the first throw(like I was throwing the shot)."  Snapping the wrist sent the disc down, not up and out as intended.  Ewen just shook it off and launched her next throw 167' 1" to seal her fourth straight discus title, but fell short of breaking her own State Meet record of 171'9". Maggie is more likely to laugh off or forget a bad throw rather than let it bother her, she says, as "it's in the past."  Ewen just identifies what went wrong and tries not to repeat that mistake.

She made no such mistake in the shot the next day, as again on her second throw she popped a winner that fell to earth after flying 54'8.5," breaking former Lakeville and Gopher standout Liz Podominick's Minnesota all-time recordin the shot by over three feet and narrowly missing the US record currently held by Olympian Michelle Carter.  (Coincidentally Podominick was not to far away as her record was being broken.  She was in Illinois for the ChicagoLand Throwers Challenge, an event that brings in many of the top younger throwers as well as US Olympians for a unique weekend of competition and clinics.)  

When asked what was different between the two days, Ewen said that she had no idea.  Some days everything clicks, on others it doesn't, she added. Ewen's relaxed, take-it-as-it-comes attitude keeps everything at an even keel.  She is the opposite of the narrowly focused competitors who block out everything around them during competition.  For example, on her last throw in the discus, she heard the PA announcer at the track read off the name of the contestants in the boys 300 hurdles, which included St. Francis teammate Jonathan Santiago.  She strolled into the ring and launched another 160 foot throw, then headed directly over to the outer fence of the discus throwing area to watch the 300 hurdles finish.

"I like to know what's going on around me," said Ewen.  She can often be seen laughing and conversing with the other throwers in the on-deck area as the competition is in progress.  While family and friends could be heard urging her on from outside the fence during the discus, they were gathered by the fence nearly as far away from the throwing circle as where her winning throw landed.  

The shot put area at Hamline's Klas Field offers a more intimate setting.  The spectators are relatively close to the athletes and on Saturday they were into what they were watching, especially after Ewen's record-setting second throw.  In the audience was Maggie's best friend, parents, grandparents(who came up from their home in Southern Illinois as they do as often as they can to watch her compete) and a crowd that was into the event.

Ewen didn't disappoint them.

Culp and Reed USATF Minnesota's Athletes of the Month for May

The Minnesota Association of USA Track & Field is proud to announce that are USATF Minnesota’s Athletes of the Month for May 2013 are Becky Culp and Christopher Reed.

Culp, a Hamline Senior (Lino Lakes; Centennial High School) won the discus with a throw of 154'6" (47.11m) at the NCAA Division III championship in La Crosse, Wisconsin May 23-25. She also earned All-America honors in the shot put, placing fifth with a mark of 45'10.5"(13.98m). Culp also won the MIAC title in the shot put and discus and placed third in the conference in the hammer throw earlier in May.

Reed, a redshirt sophomore at MSU-Mankato (Omaha, Nebraska; Omaha Central) won the shot put with a mark of 65'7"(19.99m) at the NCAA Division II championship in Pueblo, Colorado May 23-25. He earned two additional All-America honors in the discus and hammer throw, finishing seventh in both with marks of 175'5" (53.47m) and 194'8 "(59.33m) respectively. Earlier in May, Reed won the NSIC title in the hammer throw and shot put.