Kansas State University Athletics
SE: Shadae Lawrence’s National-Leading Discus Mark a Product of Experience at IAAF World Championships
Apr 04, 2018 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Disappointed and determined, Shadae Lawrence walked out of the discus ring at London's Olympic Stadium for the IAAF World Championships last August with one thought.
"I told myself that will be the last time that I won't be making the final of any major championship," Lawrence recalled after finishing 15thamong the 30 best throwers in the world, with a mark of 59.25m/194-04 that left her three spots and about seven feet away from the finals. "It shook me up a bit because I knew I had the potential to be a world-class thrower, then and there."
This shaking moment sticks with Lawrence. She thinks about it more than when she won K-State's first NCAA Outdoor Championship in the discus last season, as well as when she represented Jamaica in the 2016 Olympics. The moment serves as motivation to not only reach those platforms again but also excel when she gets there.
"It's fuel to get better, trust me," she said of her performance at the World Championships. "I tell myself, day in and day out, that I can be the best and I have the potential to be the best. I just need to train like I'm the best."
Lawrence has maintained that mindset ever since. It showed in her first outdoor meet of the season, when she recorded the nation's top mark (61.08m/200-04) on her first throw. For reference, Lawrence's first throw this season would have qualified for her for the finals at the 2016 Olympics. And it's not even near her personal best of 62.59m/205-04, which she recorded at last year's Big 12 Championship to break the school, meet and facility record.
"It was kind of shocking at first because I've been having all of these technical issues for the past few weeks, so I wasn't really confident in my technique," Lawrence said of this season's top mark, which she'll attempt to best at this week's Jim Click Shootout in Tucson, Arizona. "But I knew I could compete well, so I was just going out there to compete."
This season, Lawrence has embraced the technical side of throwing more than ever. Again, this stems from her experience in London. When she fouled on her final attempt, she could feel why it happened.
"My technique was off," she said, "so that stuck with me, that I need to work on my technique."
As she only throws discus, Lawrence trains throughout the indoor season and has plenty of time to focus on perfecting her throw. Lately, she's grown fond of the extended practice time.
"I kind of accept it," she said. "I just train and prepare myself well for the outdoor season, so it's not much of a (big) deal. I enjoy just staying home and training and getting ready for the outdoor season."
So far, it seems she has prepared herself well.
Lawrence's first throw of the season is a step ahead of where she expected to be, which was around 60 meters. It's also well beyond her respective season-opening marks as a freshman and sophomore, of 56.40m/185-0 and 58.44m/191-08.
"To open with 61, it was past my expectations," she said. "And due to the fact that I had technical issues, I think this season will be great."
For Lawrence, this season is more than a chance to defend her Big 12 and NCAA titles, while picking up more along the way, too. It's about setting a "foundation," she said, for future major championships like the next World Championships meet.
"I'm really working on improving myself at the international level," she said. "The World Championships in London, that really shaped my whole mental game in discus throwing. I saw how the world-class throwers train and I knew I had to improve in some areas. So I'm really thinking about the international level rather than the NCAA level because I know if I think about that, then everything will be good at the NCAA level.
"So I'm setting the foundation."
Disappointed and determined, Shadae Lawrence walked out of the discus ring at London's Olympic Stadium for the IAAF World Championships last August with one thought.
"I told myself that will be the last time that I won't be making the final of any major championship," Lawrence recalled after finishing 15thamong the 30 best throwers in the world, with a mark of 59.25m/194-04 that left her three spots and about seven feet away from the finals. "It shook me up a bit because I knew I had the potential to be a world-class thrower, then and there."
This shaking moment sticks with Lawrence. She thinks about it more than when she won K-State's first NCAA Outdoor Championship in the discus last season, as well as when she represented Jamaica in the 2016 Olympics. The moment serves as motivation to not only reach those platforms again but also excel when she gets there.
"It's fuel to get better, trust me," she said of her performance at the World Championships. "I tell myself, day in and day out, that I can be the best and I have the potential to be the best. I just need to train like I'm the best."
Lawrence has maintained that mindset ever since. It showed in her first outdoor meet of the season, when she recorded the nation's top mark (61.08m/200-04) on her first throw. For reference, Lawrence's first throw this season would have qualified for her for the finals at the 2016 Olympics. And it's not even near her personal best of 62.59m/205-04, which she recorded at last year's Big 12 Championship to break the school, meet and facility record.
"It was kind of shocking at first because I've been having all of these technical issues for the past few weeks, so I wasn't really confident in my technique," Lawrence said of this season's top mark, which she'll attempt to best at this week's Jim Click Shootout in Tucson, Arizona. "But I knew I could compete well, so I was just going out there to compete."
This season, Lawrence has embraced the technical side of throwing more than ever. Again, this stems from her experience in London. When she fouled on her final attempt, she could feel why it happened.
"My technique was off," she said, "so that stuck with me, that I need to work on my technique."
As she only throws discus, Lawrence trains throughout the indoor season and has plenty of time to focus on perfecting her throw. Lately, she's grown fond of the extended practice time.
"I kind of accept it," she said. "I just train and prepare myself well for the outdoor season, so it's not much of a (big) deal. I enjoy just staying home and training and getting ready for the outdoor season."
So far, it seems she has prepared herself well.
Lawrence's first throw of the season is a step ahead of where she expected to be, which was around 60 meters. It's also well beyond her respective season-opening marks as a freshman and sophomore, of 56.40m/185-0 and 58.44m/191-08.
"To open with 61, it was past my expectations," she said. "And due to the fact that I had technical issues, I think this season will be great."
For Lawrence, this season is more than a chance to defend her Big 12 and NCAA titles, while picking up more along the way, too. It's about setting a "foundation," she said, for future major championships like the next World Championships meet.
"I'm really working on improving myself at the international level," she said. "The World Championships in London, that really shaped my whole mental game in discus throwing. I saw how the world-class throwers train and I knew I had to improve in some areas. So I'm really thinking about the international level rather than the NCAA level because I know if I think about that, then everything will be good at the NCAA level.
"So I'm setting the foundation."
Players Mentioned
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