SE: Wildcat Throwers Deep with Talent, Expectations Again
Dec 14, 2016 | Track & Field
There is starting a season well, and then there is what the K-State track and field throwers did on Saturday. A handful of Wildcat throwers set a new personal best in the indoor season-opening K-State Winter Invitational, foreshadowing another strong season for a group that thrives off of each other’s success.
The Wildcat throwers speak highly of the rising-tide aspect within the group. Last indoor season, K-State’s throwers collected nine top-eight finishes at the Big 12 Indoor Championship, the most scorers in the throwing events for any team in the conference.
“We just fed off each other (last season),” said senior Brady Grunder. “One of our home meets when we all threw, everybody was PR-ing right after each other. It’s just an awesome feeling to push your other teammates.”
Saturday was more of the same, only it was the first meet of the season.
Brett Neelly recorded a career-best toss of 18.07m/59-03.50, nearly a foot farther than his previous best mark that placed him fifth at the Big 12 Indoor Championship last season. Fellow sophomore Jayce Brack, Neelly’s daily competitor, also notched a new personal record (16.94m/55-07) in the shot put.
“When he throws well, I throw well,” Neelly said of Brack. “If he has a good practice, then I want to have a good one with him, and he’s kicking everybody up in the weight room, so it’s just something to strive toward.”
Grunder, the defending Big 12 champion in the weight throw, topped his previous best with a mark of 20.72m/67-11.75. Senior Kyle Smith, who finished fourth at the Big 12 indoor meet last season, and junior Mitch Dixon, who placed fifth at the conference meet, should help keep Grunder from relaxing.
“They’re going to be right there pushing me,” Grunder said of his teammates, “and I’m going to hopefully push them.”
On the women’s side, senior Janee’ Kassanavoid joined Saturday’s PR party with a toss of 19.89m/65-03.25 in the weight throw. It’s another step forward for Kassanavoid, who’s been pushed in recent years by the success of First Team All-American Sara Savatovic but hindered by three knee surgeries since she arrived at K-State.
“It was really exciting,” Kassanavoid, who finished third at the Big 12 Indoor meet last season, said of Saturday’s performance. “Coach (Greg Watson) and I were pushing for 20 meters because we’re really striving for nationals, it being my last indoor season. Starting this year off with a PR is better than previous years, so it’s just something to look forward to, knowing we’re there and we have a little bit more to go.”
True freshman Helene Ingvaldsen, out of Norway, was equally impressive with a throw of 18.53/60-09.50, a mark that would have placed eighth at the Big 12 Indoor Championships last season.
“Coach Watson, I feel like, has helped her a lot through technique, and she’s also never really touched different types of weights, so now she’s got a little more specialized training,” Kassanavoid said of Ingvaldsen, who had basically zero experience in the weight throw before she came to K-State. “She picked up the weight and has done really well with it.”
Under Watson, who’s coached two Olympians and 14 All-Americans in his career, K-State’s throwers continue to collectively rank among the best groups in the Big 12.
“He’s a great coach, a phenomenal coach,” Neelly said of Watson, entering his fourth year as K-State’s throw coach. “He’s one of those coaches where he won’t (sugarcoat) stuff. If you did terrible, he’s going to tell you straight to your face that was awful and he’s going to be on your butt, saying you need to work harder in the weight room.”
“I’ve really appreciated him as a coach. Not knowing technique very well when I got here, not understanding the hammer, he’s really taught me a lot. I appreciate that a lot, and we’re still having some problems with technique, but we’re working through it together and we know that there are big things ahead,” Kassanavoid added. “He’ll tell you what you need to do and he’ll also tell you when you’re doing well, that you’re going to do big things and just to keep looking forward.”
The Wildcats are doing just that, eying improvement for the ultimate goal of reaching the NCAA Championship in March that will require roughly a top-16 mark in the nation. Currently, Grunder sits second in the country, Neely is in fifth and Kassanavoid is positioned eighth.
“They are marks that are not necessarily going to be national-qualifying marks,” K-State Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Cliff Rovelto said after the meet on Saturday, “but they are definitely going to be high-scoring marks in the conference.”
The Wildcats are aware their current marks won’t hold up in those positions, but they also know they are much closer to start the season than they have ever been. With improvement and each new PR, a bid to the national meet in College Station, Texas, becomes more likely.
“Everybody’s goal is to make the top-16 marks in the country, get a trip down to Texas A&M and compete at the highest level,” said Neelly, adding that he’ll likely need a mark above 19m/62-04 to reach the national meet. “From here, I want to just keep working hard and see where I could go.”
For Kassanavoid and Grunder, the ideal mark for both to hit is above 21m/68-10.
“Brady and I, being seniors, we just push each other, saying, ‘Lets go, we got to get that 21, we got to get that national mark,’” Kassanavoid said. “It’s huge because I’m really big on working really, really hard to get to where you want to go. Nationals is that last ending for a senior. I just want to make it to nationals to make Coach proud and my family proud.”
K-State will resume its indoor season on January 7, 2017, in the Kansas-hosted Bill Easton Classic in Lawrence.
K-State Track and Field | Director of T&F Travis Geopfert Post Indoor NCAA Championships Interview
Tuesday, March 17
K-State Track and Field | Tyson Invitational Recap
Wednesday, February 18
K-State Track & Field | DeLoss Dodds Invitational Recap
Wednesday, February 04
K-State Track & Field | Thane Baker Invitational Recap
Monday, January 19
