Kansas State University Athletics
SE: K-State Triple Jumpers Lawrence, Romaiou Reach Same Destination – NCAA Championships — with Different Approach
Jun 08, 2018 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
The same two triple jumpers for K-State, Shardia Lawrence and Konstantina Romaiou, will represent the Wildcats for the second-straight season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Only Florida can claim the same feat on the women's side.
Truthfully, however, Lawrence and Romaiou are much different from a year ago. Their approach, training and mindset, for instance, are not the same. Even their relationship and how they work with each other is different.
All of the changes brought them back to Eugene, Oregon, where Wildcats look to do more than just represent K-State this time around.
"We've kind of taken a different approach to get to the same place. I'm really excited about what the outcome could potentially be at the national meet," K-State assistant coach Vincent Johnson said of his triple jump duo. "Last year, we were pretty excited to be there. This year, it's more than just being excited to be there. Now we want to try to leave a print as well."
Last year as a sophomore, Lawrence entered the NCAA Outdoor Championships with the country's fourth-best mark. She finished the meet 23rd, recording only one mark on her last attempt. Romaiou, who was a freshman at the time, scratched on all three attempts in her first collegiate national meet.
The biggest lesson from this experience?
"Nothing is guaranteed," Romaiou said. "Sometimes you have the confidence of, 'I can do it. It's easy,' but when you see that you foul over and over again, it's like you lose everything because you can't stay focused. You put pressure on yourself to make it but the effect that it has is bad."
"Last year, I went in as one of the favorites and I didn't have the mindset I have right now," Lawrence added, entering this year with the 12th-best mark out of the 24 qualifying triple jumpers. "To go in as the underdog is truly a blessing because I know what's coming. Last year, I went in on top and didn't produce. It was really, really disappointing and this year I know is going to be great."
Johnson agreed, for a few reasons.
For one, Lawrence and Romaiou's runway trouble at last year's national outdoor meet has been a point of emphasis this entire season.
Each Wildcat has implemented slight changes in her approach, Johnson said, but the biggest alteration has been with how they create consistency in it. Ironically, the seventh-year K-State coach has done this by creating specifically planned inconsistencies for Lawrence and Romaiou in training.
"I'm not trying to be so consistent with what they're doing by creating some diverse situations and asking them to do the same thing," he said, before listing examples. "Even though it's raining, let's do the same thing. Even though the wind's blowing in our face, let's do the same thing. Even though the wind is at our back, let's do the same thing. Even though I changed the time of practice, let's do the same thing. Even though I'm asking you to lift weights before you run, let's do the same thing. Even though I'm asking you to lift after, let's the do the same thing.
"We're just trying to create the same result but in a more diverse situation."
The results speak for themselves.
Lawrence and Romaiou recorded marks on five out of their six jumps at the NCAA West Preliminary meet. Even better, Romaiou came up clutch in her last attempt. Her final leap of 13.11m/43-00.25 set a new personal-best and secured her the final qualifying spot from the meet.
"It has helped them be a little more consistent on the runway," Johnson said. "It doesn't matter what the circumstances are, we're still required to perform and compete. The more situations that are stressful and we're training through, the better we'll be when those stressful situations come up."
Thankfully, the two do not have to deal with those situations alone. As unlikely as it may seem, because of their personality and cultural differences, Lawrence, from Jamaica, and Romaiou, from Greece, have formed a tightknit friendship on the track.
They lean on each other in tough times and push one another in good moments.
"Mentally, I think she kind of feeds off of me because when she's down, I have the strength to help her keep going, to push her, to tell her to get it together, that she can do it, to motivate her, and with me when I see her do extremely well, it gives me the drive to the same," Lawrence said. "That's how we work. Our relationship is great. She's like a sister."
One example Romaiou pointed out was at this year's Big 12 Outdoor Championships when Lawrence started the triple jump competition with a pair of fouls. Lawrence had scored in all but one conference meet going into it and, with another foul, would lose out on points K-State was counting on.
"I was, like, 'Shardia, I want a white flag. Just jump,'" recalled Romaiou, who finished third at the Big 12 meet with a wind-aided mark of 13.25m/43-05.75.
Lawrence listened and recorded a qualifying mark to advance to the finals. On her next attempt, she notched a fourth-place distance of 13.19m/43-03.25 to bring K-State's point total in the triple jump to 11, helping the Wildcats win their second-straight Big 12 title.
"I always wanted a (triple jump) teammate and when I heard Konstantina was coming, I was kind of nervous, I wasn't sure if we were going to relate to each other and it worked out really well," Lawrence said. "We ended up growing together. We both are really unselfish. We really work together. If one person jumps farther than the other, we just feel really happy for each other."
The two will jump in the same flight on Saturday in Oregon, where they look to positively change their memories of historic Hayward Field.
"I'm really elated that we both made it," Lawrence said. "We get a chance to work as a team to do better than last year."
The same two triple jumpers for K-State, Shardia Lawrence and Konstantina Romaiou, will represent the Wildcats for the second-straight season at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Only Florida can claim the same feat on the women's side.
Truthfully, however, Lawrence and Romaiou are much different from a year ago. Their approach, training and mindset, for instance, are not the same. Even their relationship and how they work with each other is different.
All of the changes brought them back to Eugene, Oregon, where Wildcats look to do more than just represent K-State this time around.
"We've kind of taken a different approach to get to the same place. I'm really excited about what the outcome could potentially be at the national meet," K-State assistant coach Vincent Johnson said of his triple jump duo. "Last year, we were pretty excited to be there. This year, it's more than just being excited to be there. Now we want to try to leave a print as well."
Last year as a sophomore, Lawrence entered the NCAA Outdoor Championships with the country's fourth-best mark. She finished the meet 23rd, recording only one mark on her last attempt. Romaiou, who was a freshman at the time, scratched on all three attempts in her first collegiate national meet.
The biggest lesson from this experience?
"Nothing is guaranteed," Romaiou said. "Sometimes you have the confidence of, 'I can do it. It's easy,' but when you see that you foul over and over again, it's like you lose everything because you can't stay focused. You put pressure on yourself to make it but the effect that it has is bad."
"Last year, I went in as one of the favorites and I didn't have the mindset I have right now," Lawrence added, entering this year with the 12th-best mark out of the 24 qualifying triple jumpers. "To go in as the underdog is truly a blessing because I know what's coming. Last year, I went in on top and didn't produce. It was really, really disappointing and this year I know is going to be great."
Johnson agreed, for a few reasons.
For one, Lawrence and Romaiou's runway trouble at last year's national outdoor meet has been a point of emphasis this entire season.
Each Wildcat has implemented slight changes in her approach, Johnson said, but the biggest alteration has been with how they create consistency in it. Ironically, the seventh-year K-State coach has done this by creating specifically planned inconsistencies for Lawrence and Romaiou in training.
"I'm not trying to be so consistent with what they're doing by creating some diverse situations and asking them to do the same thing," he said, before listing examples. "Even though it's raining, let's do the same thing. Even though the wind's blowing in our face, let's do the same thing. Even though the wind is at our back, let's do the same thing. Even though I changed the time of practice, let's do the same thing. Even though I'm asking you to lift weights before you run, let's do the same thing. Even though I'm asking you to lift after, let's the do the same thing.
"We're just trying to create the same result but in a more diverse situation."
The results speak for themselves.
Lawrence and Romaiou recorded marks on five out of their six jumps at the NCAA West Preliminary meet. Even better, Romaiou came up clutch in her last attempt. Her final leap of 13.11m/43-00.25 set a new personal-best and secured her the final qualifying spot from the meet.
"It has helped them be a little more consistent on the runway," Johnson said. "It doesn't matter what the circumstances are, we're still required to perform and compete. The more situations that are stressful and we're training through, the better we'll be when those stressful situations come up."
Thankfully, the two do not have to deal with those situations alone. As unlikely as it may seem, because of their personality and cultural differences, Lawrence, from Jamaica, and Romaiou, from Greece, have formed a tightknit friendship on the track.
They lean on each other in tough times and push one another in good moments.
"Mentally, I think she kind of feeds off of me because when she's down, I have the strength to help her keep going, to push her, to tell her to get it together, that she can do it, to motivate her, and with me when I see her do extremely well, it gives me the drive to the same," Lawrence said. "That's how we work. Our relationship is great. She's like a sister."
One example Romaiou pointed out was at this year's Big 12 Outdoor Championships when Lawrence started the triple jump competition with a pair of fouls. Lawrence had scored in all but one conference meet going into it and, with another foul, would lose out on points K-State was counting on.
"I was, like, 'Shardia, I want a white flag. Just jump,'" recalled Romaiou, who finished third at the Big 12 meet with a wind-aided mark of 13.25m/43-05.75.
Lawrence listened and recorded a qualifying mark to advance to the finals. On her next attempt, she notched a fourth-place distance of 13.19m/43-03.25 to bring K-State's point total in the triple jump to 11, helping the Wildcats win their second-straight Big 12 title.
"I always wanted a (triple jump) teammate and when I heard Konstantina was coming, I was kind of nervous, I wasn't sure if we were going to relate to each other and it worked out really well," Lawrence said. "We ended up growing together. We both are really unselfish. We really work together. If one person jumps farther than the other, we just feel really happy for each other."
The two will jump in the same flight on Saturday in Oregon, where they look to positively change their memories of historic Hayward Field.
"I'm really elated that we both made it," Lawrence said. "We get a chance to work as a team to do better than last year."
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