USC Throws

Jesse is our javelin thrower, majoring in commerce and minoring in entrepreneurship and only few weeks from graduation. She’s one of the best students on the team and has a job already lined up for her. She will share with us some very valuable tips of how to be successfully student athlete, how to balance life and responsibilities, and how to successfully set yourself up for life after college.

Follow Jesse at https://www.instagram.com/jesse_gellerr/

Today with us we have Brittany the Dynamite Jones, roll-model to so many young women throwers out there, a for a good reason; she’s one of our best shot putters of All-Time, 2nd outdoor and 3rd indoor so far, and she’s even top 5 on our hammer throw list. Brittany is even more accomplished off the field as she is in the field. She’s studying Leadership and Public Policy, and will be pursuing a Master’s Degree or Law Degree after her undergraduate studies. In this Interview Brittany will share some very important insights for young athletes who are looking to compete in track and field in college so listen carefully and take some notes.

Without further ado, Brittany - The Dynamite _ Jones

Follow Brittany at https://www.instagram.com/brittmfjones/

Today with us we have Tomasz Majewski who won 10 major Championships medals, including 2x Olympic Gold medals and 2x European Championships Gold medals. Majewski is the only thrower to win 2 Olympics since Perry O’Brian in 1956 and is now serving as Polish Track and Field Vice President. Tomasz will talk to us about how he got into throwing, describes how the season before Beijing 2008 went at which he won his first Olympic gold and at which moment he knew he can become an Olympic Champion. As one of the longest lasting top throwers out there, he will give us advice on how to avoid injuries.

His disappointment at 2011 World Championships was almost needed it in order to put all focus into London 2012 Olympics. He recalls his best training session when he was technically best in his life, the technical feeling that he never was quite able to duplicate, talks about importance of hitting the shot through the point. Talks about how to peak at the right moment, you’ll surprised what he has to say. What makes you win medals? Hunger for winning he says. He also shared us important advice for young athletes who are just starting with throwing: Find a good coach and enjoy what you do, otherwise find something else that fulfils you”.

Follow Tomasz at https://www.instagram.com/tomasz561/?hl=e

Ryan Crouser, Olympic Champion, 4 time NCAA champion, High School Discus Record Holder… and the list goes on and on. Ryan talked to us about the difficulties he faced this season with training, his mindset during the lockdown, about importance of setting goals in everything that one does, his training and approach towards 2016 Olympic games, why he picked shot put over discus and many more things. Ryan is not just one of the best throwers of all time, but an incredible person and a true role model for all the young throwers out there.

Cait Mautz, one of the best javelin throwers of all time at University of Virginia has took some time to talk to us about her experiences and lessons she learned over time. Cait made All-ACC three times, and competed at NCAA 1st rounds Finals three times as well. She’s one of the toughest athletes out there, and your life will be instantly 20% better just by meeting her. A true fact 

Check Cait Mautz at https://www.instagram.com/caitmautz/

14. Steve Manz - Miami Ohio Throws Coach by Martin Maric

Today with us we have Pobo Efekoro- 5 time All American, ACC Champion, ranked top 10 on UVA’s All-Time lists in every throwing event Indoor and outdoor (except javelin). He’s the strongest man in almost every weight room he walks in and always lights up the room. Competed internationally multiple times, is a chest guru; smart, humble, and just all around awesome guy. Pobo was, is, and always will be a crucial part of UVA throws.

Follow him at https://www.instagram.com/truenijaking96/

Hall of Famer, John Godina! 5 times NCAA Champion, 4 times world champion, two times Olympic medalist and one of the only few that has ever competed at Olympic Games both in discus and shot put for USA, and he did it twice! He’s also a great coach of athletes and coach of coaches, founder of ALTIS, helping numerous people around the world. He’ll talk to us about how he got into throwing, influence his father had in his career, his NCAA record, and, something really unusual, how he got into long distance running, something not many throwers can say, and many other things. If you like our podcast, hit that subscribe button, it helps us a lot, and enjoy are interview with, one and only, John Godina!

Follow John at: https://www.instagram.com/johngodina/

Ashley Kovacs is in her Sixth season as an assistant coach with the Ohio State track and field program. Kovacs mentors the Buckeye throwers and serves as one of the team’s recruiting coordinators. During the 2018-19 indoor and outdoor season she was responsible for the training and guidance of Sade Olatoye, a throws specialist who’s legacy will be tough to follow. During the indoor season Olatoye was placed on the Pre-NCAA Indoor Watch List for The Bowerman– collegiate track & field’s highest honor. Olatoye led the nation in both the shot put and weight throw after a stellar effort at the Indoor Big Ten Championships. The senior captured individual conference titles in both events with best marks of 17.88m (58-8) in the shot put and a 24.07m (78-11¾) in the weight throw. This stellar performance, along with her impressive ten titles in seven meets, being in Top Three of shot put and weight throw, has earned her a spot on this prestigious list. Olatoye is the first Buckeye in history to receive this honor, writing her name deep within the Ohio State record books yet again. The Ohio native secured the No. 6 spot in NCAA all-time history with her 24.07m (78-11.75) in the Big Ten Championship weight throw competition. She is only the second Buckeye in Ohio State history who is currently on the list. Olatoye was named Big Ten Field Athlete of the week five times in a row, creating another school record and Big Ten record to add to her accolades. She was named Field Athlete of the year for both the Big Ten and USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region. Sade Olatoye was also named Ohio State Athlete of the Year, one of the highest honors an athlete can receive within the University. Olatoye holds four Ohio State records, both indoor (17.88m) and outdoor (16.90m) shot put along both indoor (24.46m) and outdoor (67.49m) hammer. Due to this stellar season, Kovacs was hailed Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year for the second time in her career.

Prior to her stint at Western Kentucky, Muffet spent a year coaching throws at Murray State while working on her master’s degree. In her lone season with the Racers, Muffet coached freshman Tonia Pratt to Ohio Valley Conference titles in the weight and hammer throws, as well as OVC indoor and outdoor Freshman of the Year honors.

A four-time All-American at Kentucky from 2006-2010, Muffet was an 11-time All-Southeastern Conference selection, an SEC Most Valuable Player and Commissioner’s Cup winner, and a runner-up in the shot put at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships. Muffet participated in the U.S Olympic trials in 2008 and 2012 and holds Kentucky’s school records in the shot put and discus. She competed unattached in three meets during the 2012-13 season, winning the shot put on two occasions and placing fourth at the 2013 USA Indoor Championships.

A native Ohioan, Muffet is a graduate of North Canton Hoover High School (2001-2005), where she was a three-time state champion and former Ohio state-record holder in the shot put. Muffet earned her bachelor’s degree in telecommunications from the University of Kentucky in 2010 and added a master’s in human development and leadership from Murray State University in 2012.

Follow Ashley at : https://www.instagram.com/ashleykovacsusa/

As coaches, as friends, as human beings, it’s hard to have difficult conversations, necessary conversations, with people we deeply care for who are in our lives daily, difficult conversations on any subject; especially those about race. But those are conversations we absolutely have to have if we truly want better life for all human beings.

Our school record holder, future lawyer and one of the most driven athletes UVA has ever had, Jade Baker, took some time to sit down with us and talk about her experiences through different stages of her life and at the end gave us few things that we can do to help stop racial biases and inequality in our society:

1. Marching – staying safe, but be active, let your voice be heard.

2. Donate – Pandemic is disproportionally affecting black community, even donating few dollars to can go a long way.

3. Education – reading, listening, watching educational content that will help you understand the issues better.

4. Challenging conversations – with your friends, parents or anyone who holds racial biases.

Follow Jade at : https://www.instagram.com/jade_briana/