SE: Catching Up with Colin Echols of K-State Track & Field
Apr 23, 2021 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
Colin Echols is a senior on the K-State Track & Field team specializing in the throwing events.
He won the discus at last weekend's Michael Johnson Invitational at Baylor, with a personal best throw of 53.31m/174-11.10.
Echols chatted with Austin Siegel of K-State Sports Extra about his win in Waco, offseason training in an insulation warehouse and preparing for the Big 12 Championships in Manhattan. The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
AS: Looking back on Waco, you left with a new PR in the discus, how did everything come together in that event?
CE: The weather did play a little bit of a factor. There was this really strong headwind, and for a discus thrower, that's really good because it keeps the discus up there a little bit longer. Going into warmups, I was very confident. I had my family there, and I could hear my Dad cheering because I had some pretty good throws. So, I was like, "OK, warmups are going really well, let's just continue with that energy," and then I knew I could really throw well in the competition. I hit a PR in my warmups, it wasn't a really big PR, but it gave me that confident boost I needed.
AS: So, a headwind can actually help you?
CE: It keeps the discus in the air a little longer. It can hurt the girls because their disc is a lot lighter, so it will just pick it up and put it right back down. But typically for the discus throw, you always want a little bit of a headwind.
AS: Your understanding of the physics behind the sport is really interesting, when did that become a focus?
CE: In all honesty, every school tries to tailor the event to the wind. At UTSA, they put us in a cross headwind, so it was blowing from the right side, almost at you, but more across your body. But they also try and set up the throwing rings at each event so it's never a tailwind, which means the wind is blowing at your back.
AS: That's definitely not something a total novice like myself would ever think about.
CE: Can't speak for everyone, but a lot of people chase the wind. That's typically when you'll get a bigger throw. In all the throwing events, you don't take off or add anything like in jumps or sprints. There's no penalty [for wind or altitude]. If you get a really strong wind and throw this distance, then that's your distance. It's not like in sprints where even if you run a certain time, then time can still be added or taken away.
AS: I know the weather was kind of crummy in Waco, but I'm always interested how that impacts track & field athletes. Ashley [Petr] told me she's thrown here in the snow before, but do you feel comfortable in rough conditions?
CE: It just depends. I don't do well with the cold and it was a little cold that day. We have a video of me and I'm throwing in my warmup stuff, so my long pants and long sleeves. Especially when you're competing and you get that adrenaline going, you sort of take the weather out of play. It's just about going out and having fun. I was definitely having fun in Waco. Everyone was there, and Coach Rovelto and I have been working really hard lately. So, it was nice to see my hard work pay off a little bit.
AS: Whenever you have a chance to go back home and compete in Texas, does that give you a little more juice?
CE: Yes and no, it gets me a little nervous because I don't want to let my parents down and I want to perform well. At the same time, they're my number one cheerleaders. My Mom and Dad were there in Waco. Typically, when I throw, I try not to look at the other throwers, so I don't copy what they're doing and just do my own thing. But I looked up in the stands and my Dad was giving this really big wave. I looked up and he and my Mom stood up and made this really big heart with their arms. So, it was funny because that kinds of relaxes you and takes the stress off competing. You know you can do well because your parents are here.
AS: You're coming down the home stretch of the outdoor season. I know peaking at the right time is so important in this sport, but how do you feel about your progress?
CE: I feel great - especially being under Coach Rovelto. He knows the business in and out. He's been part of this for 40 years and his brain is just a library of knowledge. There are certain things you don't think about that he takes into account. For example, next week we start lifting four days a week instead of six days a week. He's getting us and our bodies ready, so we still have tension and good strength in our legs but we're not as fatigued. A lot of people don't really pay attention to that and just lift all year round.
AS: I mean the group of throwers you're training with every day is such a talented group, how important is it to have teammates like that who can push you?
CE: It's been tremendous. I feel like the team is a lot closer this year because we've been through so many trials and tribulations together. That's made us closer because the seniors have had to step up and help in certain areas. Helene [Ingvaldsen] and Shaelyn [Ward] for hammer, Cam [Lewis] and [Ashley] Petr for discus and shot, Taylor [Latimer] in shot and Logan [Wolfley] in javelin. He's done a tremendous job just taking the underclassmen under his wing and saying, "This is the work ethic we need." It's like, "If you want to work, I'm here to help you work, but I can't take control of you and make you succeed."
AS: What are some of the goals you set for yourself with the discus this season?
CE: The goal for Big 12s is always just to score as high as I can without exceeding that dream throw. Could I win it? I mean, there's a very slim chance, just because I haven't thrown the discus like the number one guy. But could I place third or fourth? That's really up for grabs. I don't want to undershoot myself, but I'm aiming for third or fourth place. I would be very content with that. That would be four places higher than my junior year.
AS: Obviously last summer was very disruptive for everyone, how were you able to train and sort of keep up with your events during lockdown?
CE: That was tough. Back in my city, they did a city-wide lockdown, and we had a curfew. There were a couple times when I got stopped by the police and they just said, "Hey, you need to go home, because no one is allowed to be out right now." There were other times I would sneak into my high school throwing area just to get a couple throws in. As for lifting, that was very tough. I lost a lot of muscle mass because I think it was like six months where we really couldn't do anything. Now, I've regained my strength and I'm just trying to maintain it.
AS: This is a question I asked a lot of people last summer, but did you just have to improvise weights? You talked about sneaking back into your high school, but how creative did you get?
CE: I had to get really creative. My Dad runs an insulation company, and they deal with kitchen cabinets that come in boxes. They come in different sizes, but he would intentionally put me with the guy who was unloading all the boxes from the crates and putting them onto the job site. That helped me keep some of my strength levels and a little bit of endurance. But when things started to open up a little bit, I talked to the athletic director from my high school and I was like, "Hey, I just need to get in for like an hour a day. I'll sanitize or do anything that I need to do at whatever time you need." He was really helpful and would schedule some times for me to go in and lift in August. For a little while in Manhattan, we had to lift at Brandeberry with baseball. We typically lift at Vanier and they weren't allowing us to do that. But that was fun because at least they got us in there where we could do something.
AS: It's looking like we could have fans in the stands at Big 12s here in Manhattan. Just given everything this team has gone through to compete during COVID-19, what gets you fired up about a home meet with fans?
CE: It's going to be amazing. We've gone through an indoor season with no fans whatsoever. But I think that's what brought the team as a whole closer together. There were people that sometimes you don't really talk to very much like jumps or sprints, they would come over and cheer you on or we would do the same for them. Having a meet that's going to be so much louder than that is just even more amazing. Hopefully they bring in a really big crowd.
Colin Echols is a senior on the K-State Track & Field team specializing in the throwing events.
He won the discus at last weekend's Michael Johnson Invitational at Baylor, with a personal best throw of 53.31m/174-11.10.
RECAP | K-State Claims Six Event Titles to Conclude Michael Johnson Invitational
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) April 18, 2021
"Conditions were pretty rough most of the weekend. There were a number of strong performances in spite of the conditions." --Head coach Cliff Rovelto
Read more at https://t.co/I2aWAt4aXk pic.twitter.com/0hMBaHZi9B
Echols chatted with Austin Siegel of K-State Sports Extra about his win in Waco, offseason training in an insulation warehouse and preparing for the Big 12 Championships in Manhattan. The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
AS: Looking back on Waco, you left with a new PR in the discus, how did everything come together in that event?
CE: The weather did play a little bit of a factor. There was this really strong headwind, and for a discus thrower, that's really good because it keeps the discus up there a little bit longer. Going into warmups, I was very confident. I had my family there, and I could hear my Dad cheering because I had some pretty good throws. So, I was like, "OK, warmups are going really well, let's just continue with that energy," and then I knew I could really throw well in the competition. I hit a PR in my warmups, it wasn't a really big PR, but it gave me that confident boost I needed.
AS: So, a headwind can actually help you?
CE: It keeps the discus in the air a little longer. It can hurt the girls because their disc is a lot lighter, so it will just pick it up and put it right back down. But typically for the discus throw, you always want a little bit of a headwind.
AS: Your understanding of the physics behind the sport is really interesting, when did that become a focus?
CE: In all honesty, every school tries to tailor the event to the wind. At UTSA, they put us in a cross headwind, so it was blowing from the right side, almost at you, but more across your body. But they also try and set up the throwing rings at each event so it's never a tailwind, which means the wind is blowing at your back.
AS: That's definitely not something a total novice like myself would ever think about.
CE: Can't speak for everyone, but a lot of people chase the wind. That's typically when you'll get a bigger throw. In all the throwing events, you don't take off or add anything like in jumps or sprints. There's no penalty [for wind or altitude]. If you get a really strong wind and throw this distance, then that's your distance. It's not like in sprints where even if you run a certain time, then time can still be added or taken away.
AS: I know the weather was kind of crummy in Waco, but I'm always interested how that impacts track & field athletes. Ashley [Petr] told me she's thrown here in the snow before, but do you feel comfortable in rough conditions?
CE: It just depends. I don't do well with the cold and it was a little cold that day. We have a video of me and I'm throwing in my warmup stuff, so my long pants and long sleeves. Especially when you're competing and you get that adrenaline going, you sort of take the weather out of play. It's just about going out and having fun. I was definitely having fun in Waco. Everyone was there, and Coach Rovelto and I have been working really hard lately. So, it was nice to see my hard work pay off a little bit.
AS: Whenever you have a chance to go back home and compete in Texas, does that give you a little more juice?
CE: Yes and no, it gets me a little nervous because I don't want to let my parents down and I want to perform well. At the same time, they're my number one cheerleaders. My Mom and Dad were there in Waco. Typically, when I throw, I try not to look at the other throwers, so I don't copy what they're doing and just do my own thing. But I looked up in the stands and my Dad was giving this really big wave. I looked up and he and my Mom stood up and made this really big heart with their arms. So, it was funny because that kinds of relaxes you and takes the stress off competing. You know you can do well because your parents are here.
AS: You're coming down the home stretch of the outdoor season. I know peaking at the right time is so important in this sport, but how do you feel about your progress?
CE: I feel great - especially being under Coach Rovelto. He knows the business in and out. He's been part of this for 40 years and his brain is just a library of knowledge. There are certain things you don't think about that he takes into account. For example, next week we start lifting four days a week instead of six days a week. He's getting us and our bodies ready, so we still have tension and good strength in our legs but we're not as fatigued. A lot of people don't really pay attention to that and just lift all year round.
AS: I mean the group of throwers you're training with every day is such a talented group, how important is it to have teammates like that who can push you?
CE: It's been tremendous. I feel like the team is a lot closer this year because we've been through so many trials and tribulations together. That's made us closer because the seniors have had to step up and help in certain areas. Helene [Ingvaldsen] and Shaelyn [Ward] for hammer, Cam [Lewis] and [Ashley] Petr for discus and shot, Taylor [Latimer] in shot and Logan [Wolfley] in javelin. He's done a tremendous job just taking the underclassmen under his wing and saying, "This is the work ethic we need." It's like, "If you want to work, I'm here to help you work, but I can't take control of you and make you succeed."
AS: What are some of the goals you set for yourself with the discus this season?
CE: The goal for Big 12s is always just to score as high as I can without exceeding that dream throw. Could I win it? I mean, there's a very slim chance, just because I haven't thrown the discus like the number one guy. But could I place third or fourth? That's really up for grabs. I don't want to undershoot myself, but I'm aiming for third or fourth place. I would be very content with that. That would be four places higher than my junior year.
AS: Obviously last summer was very disruptive for everyone, how were you able to train and sort of keep up with your events during lockdown?
CE: That was tough. Back in my city, they did a city-wide lockdown, and we had a curfew. There were a couple times when I got stopped by the police and they just said, "Hey, you need to go home, because no one is allowed to be out right now." There were other times I would sneak into my high school throwing area just to get a couple throws in. As for lifting, that was very tough. I lost a lot of muscle mass because I think it was like six months where we really couldn't do anything. Now, I've regained my strength and I'm just trying to maintain it.
AS: This is a question I asked a lot of people last summer, but did you just have to improvise weights? You talked about sneaking back into your high school, but how creative did you get?
CE: I had to get really creative. My Dad runs an insulation company, and they deal with kitchen cabinets that come in boxes. They come in different sizes, but he would intentionally put me with the guy who was unloading all the boxes from the crates and putting them onto the job site. That helped me keep some of my strength levels and a little bit of endurance. But when things started to open up a little bit, I talked to the athletic director from my high school and I was like, "Hey, I just need to get in for like an hour a day. I'll sanitize or do anything that I need to do at whatever time you need." He was really helpful and would schedule some times for me to go in and lift in August. For a little while in Manhattan, we had to lift at Brandeberry with baseball. We typically lift at Vanier and they weren't allowing us to do that. But that was fun because at least they got us in there where we could do something.
AS: It's looking like we could have fans in the stands at Big 12s here in Manhattan. Just given everything this team has gone through to compete during COVID-19, what gets you fired up about a home meet with fans?
CE: It's going to be amazing. We've gone through an indoor season with no fans whatsoever. But I think that's what brought the team as a whole closer together. There were people that sometimes you don't really talk to very much like jumps or sprints, they would come over and cheer you on or we would do the same for them. Having a meet that's going to be so much louder than that is just even more amazing. Hopefully they bring in a really big crowd.
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