Stress Turns Into Jubilation
Jun 02, 2022 | Track & Field, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Here's what the sensational outdoor track and field season of Kade McCall came down to: A proverbial goal-line stand. McCall owns the Kansas State record in the hammer throw. McCall is a 20-year-old sophomore. And, well, McCall admits that he wasn't at his best at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships West Preliminary round last Thursday.
Amid a downpour, he unfurled a toss of 64.10 meters (210-4 feet) on his first attempt, 64.95 meters (213-1 feet) on his second attempt and bombed his third attempt. The top 12 leaders of the West Preliminary would qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. McCall was in 12th place — the final spot to qualify. And there were suitors eager to take his spot.
"I was stressing so hard," McCall says.
In football terms, this was equivalent to watching your defense on a goal-line stand. There is absolutely nothing you can do but watch it happen. Some football players yell from the sideline but hammer throw is a little bit different. Track officials don't take too kind to a competitor yelling his lungs out while another competitor is in the ring. But in football terms, yes, Arkansas State sophomore Aimar Palma Simo faced fourth-and-goal inside the 1. Palma Simo had one chance remaining to beat McCall and end his sensational season.
"I'd worked so hard this year," McCall says. "I really wanted to go to nationals. It was a surreal moment for me. If I could, I would've left the track. I just couldn't watch. Usually, I'm not that way. I like to watch everybody throw. I was stressing."
On his third and final attempt, Palma Simo hurled a toss of 64.57 meters (211-10 feet). He came up two feet short of catching McCall. Palma Simo couldn't cross the proverbial goal line. McCall had qualified. He learned of the news from watching his folks in the stands at John McDonnell Field at the University of Arkansas. He was sick. He could not watch Palma Simo's final throw. When it was over, his folks gave him a thumbs up. Then they wildly cheered in the stands. That's when he knew. That's when he knew he could breathe again. That's when he knew that his season would live another day.
"That's when I knew I was going to nationals," he says.
"I have yet to throw in the ring," he says, "but just seeing it before, and knowing your surroundings in general, brings less stress of not freaking out about where you are."
And as he sat at Hayward Field last year, he thought one thing.
"I thought, 'Next year, I'm for sure going to nationals,'" he says. "I envisioned myself and said, 'I'm going to be here next year.'"
And now it's here. A world of possibilities. McCall leaves Sunday to appear on the biggest stage of his life. You want to know how a man prepares for the biggest moment of his life? He practices at 9:30 a.m. He throws for 1 ½ hours. He lifts weights. He goes to Starbucks. And he cleans his apartment. That's what McCall did on Tuesday. He's doing anything to prepare and to bide the time before takeoff.
Want to know how confident McCall's parents were that their son would reach this point? They rented an Airbnb in Eugene months ago.
"My mom wasn't feeling well in Arkansas, so she stayed away from me, but she hasn't been able to see me compete all this year," McCall says. "My sister wasn't able to come to Arkansas because she was finishing up high school finals, but she's coming to Eugene. My dad came down with the grandpa to Arizona and that was the only time they'd seen me throw this year prior to Arkansas.
"They're pretty excited."
The potential obstacle? The men's hammer throw is absolutely stacked for the NCAA Championships. McCall enters as the 24th seed. McCall threw the hammer 67.56 at the Texas Relays on March 24. Nobody has thrown the hammer farther in K-State history. If he brings his personal best to Eugene and other competitors falter, he could conceivably advance to finals. But it'll be a chore. And he appears OK with it.
"Unless I have a super big personal record, I really don't think I'm going to get first team, but I won't be finishing dead last," he says. "At least that's the plan. It's kind of tough to get into the finals. Last year was already one of the toughest hammer throw competitions. I think this year is going to be even more stacked. Just getting to nationals as a sophomore and in my age group is great. It's a big accomplishment to go.
"I think I've built a really strong foundation. I just have to keep building on it."
Already he's done so much. But, oh, the places he can go down the road.
Here's what the sensational outdoor track and field season of Kade McCall came down to: A proverbial goal-line stand. McCall owns the Kansas State record in the hammer throw. McCall is a 20-year-old sophomore. And, well, McCall admits that he wasn't at his best at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships West Preliminary round last Thursday.
Amid a downpour, he unfurled a toss of 64.10 meters (210-4 feet) on his first attempt, 64.95 meters (213-1 feet) on his second attempt and bombed his third attempt. The top 12 leaders of the West Preliminary would qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. McCall was in 12th place — the final spot to qualify. And there were suitors eager to take his spot.
"I was stressing so hard," McCall says.
In football terms, this was equivalent to watching your defense on a goal-line stand. There is absolutely nothing you can do but watch it happen. Some football players yell from the sideline but hammer throw is a little bit different. Track officials don't take too kind to a competitor yelling his lungs out while another competitor is in the ring. But in football terms, yes, Arkansas State sophomore Aimar Palma Simo faced fourth-and-goal inside the 1. Palma Simo had one chance remaining to beat McCall and end his sensational season.
"I'd worked so hard this year," McCall says. "I really wanted to go to nationals. It was a surreal moment for me. If I could, I would've left the track. I just couldn't watch. Usually, I'm not that way. I like to watch everybody throw. I was stressing."
On his third and final attempt, Palma Simo hurled a toss of 64.57 meters (211-10 feet). He came up two feet short of catching McCall. Palma Simo couldn't cross the proverbial goal line. McCall had qualified. He learned of the news from watching his folks in the stands at John McDonnell Field at the University of Arkansas. He was sick. He could not watch Palma Simo's final throw. When it was over, his folks gave him a thumbs up. Then they wildly cheered in the stands. That's when he knew. That's when he knew he could breathe again. That's when he knew that his season would live another day.
"That's when I knew I was going to nationals," he says.
McCall has been to Eugene, Oregon before. Eugene, of course, is host site of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships. It is legendary. It is TrackTown USA. It is the Track Capital of the World. There is simply nothing quite like it. This time last year, McCall flew from Manhattan to his home in Boise, Idaho, and made the eight-hour drive with his father to watch some friends compete in the national championships at University of Oregon's Hayward Field. The 100-year-old Hayward Field underwent renovations in 2018 and today features 12,650 permanent seats and is expandable to 25,000.🎟️ TICKET PUNCHED 🎟️
— K-State Track (@KStateTFXC) May 25, 2022
Kade McCall is going to Eugene, Oregeon!#KStateTF x #NCAATF pic.twitter.com/b1KJgtC5lA
"I have yet to throw in the ring," he says, "but just seeing it before, and knowing your surroundings in general, brings less stress of not freaking out about where you are."
And as he sat at Hayward Field last year, he thought one thing.
"I thought, 'Next year, I'm for sure going to nationals,'" he says. "I envisioned myself and said, 'I'm going to be here next year.'"
And now it's here. A world of possibilities. McCall leaves Sunday to appear on the biggest stage of his life. You want to know how a man prepares for the biggest moment of his life? He practices at 9:30 a.m. He throws for 1 ½ hours. He lifts weights. He goes to Starbucks. And he cleans his apartment. That's what McCall did on Tuesday. He's doing anything to prepare and to bide the time before takeoff.
Want to know how confident McCall's parents were that their son would reach this point? They rented an Airbnb in Eugene months ago.
"My mom wasn't feeling well in Arkansas, so she stayed away from me, but she hasn't been able to see me compete all this year," McCall says. "My sister wasn't able to come to Arkansas because she was finishing up high school finals, but she's coming to Eugene. My dad came down with the grandpa to Arizona and that was the only time they'd seen me throw this year prior to Arkansas.
"They're pretty excited."
The potential obstacle? The men's hammer throw is absolutely stacked for the NCAA Championships. McCall enters as the 24th seed. McCall threw the hammer 67.56 at the Texas Relays on March 24. Nobody has thrown the hammer farther in K-State history. If he brings his personal best to Eugene and other competitors falter, he could conceivably advance to finals. But it'll be a chore. And he appears OK with it.
"Unless I have a super big personal record, I really don't think I'm going to get first team, but I won't be finishing dead last," he says. "At least that's the plan. It's kind of tough to get into the finals. Last year was already one of the toughest hammer throw competitions. I think this year is going to be even more stacked. Just getting to nationals as a sophomore and in my age group is great. It's a big accomplishment to go.
"I think I've built a really strong foundation. I just have to keep building on it."
Already he's done so much. But, oh, the places he can go down the road.
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