Mt. SAC Recap

I made a last-minute trip to compete at the Mt. SAC Relays over the weekend. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I was originally planning on training through April, but since training had been going so well I decided to fly down to Los Angeles for the Mt. SAC Relays. Mt. SAC always puts on a good meet and it keeps me coming back year after year. They can virtually guarantee good weather, a great facility, an energized crowd, and stellar fields. This year’s meet saw a new world leading mark by Slovakia’s Libor Charfreitag and a new top U.S. mark by my training partner Kibwé Johson. I was also very happy with my results. I placed seventh with a new season’s best of 65.88 meters (216-02). As with my last competition, there were both positives and negatives to take away from the meet, but the positives outweigh the negatives.

Positives

• My result, 65.88 meters, is my best throw in over two years and my fifth best meet ever.  My confidence has returned and I know I can continue to improve in each meet his year.
• I was once again able to successfully make adjustments during the meet.  My first two attempts were lackluster, but I was able to throw my best on my third attempt to qualify for finals against a great field.
• Five of my six throws were legal, so I hope the foul troubles I had in previous years are a thing of the past.
• I threw well in my first meet of the year last month, but knew I had a few more meters in me since I was pretty fatigued from all the travel to get to Europe.  I improved at Mt. SAC, but walk away from this meet with the same feeling.  I had three attempts over 65 meters and know that a bigger throw is there.  In fact, my on my last attempt I finally had a smooth start to my throw, but was not patient on the final turns and the throw went out of the sector.  It was still over 67-meters and, as I told Paul Merca after the competition, that’s my new goal for my next meet.

Negatives

• While my technique was better than my first competition, I still have a few adjustments that I need to make.  My biggest problems this meet were that I was rising up on my first turn and also letting my low point drift to the left.  Once I get these points ironed out, I’ll be able to progress towards 70 meters.