Over three decades of coaching at the University of Washington, coach Ken Shannon quietly developed one of the most successful and diverse stable of field event athletes in the country and was a key influence on Vern’s own approach to training and weight lifting. On this week’s episode coach Shannon joins us to discuss his own development as a coach, throwing technique, and advice for young coaches.
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Ian Frost (Mary M. Knight, Elma, WA) and Joe Denniston (Cleveland, Portland, OR) had a close battle on Sunday at the most recent Centralia hammer meet. The sophomore from Washington won out by just six inches in the end. Maddie Rabing took the girl’s competition and then threw further in the open competition, finishing with 168’9″. Meghan Carbiener (West Linn, OR) placed second with a big personal best. Read more
In the last meet before next weekend’s state championships Ian Frost (Mary M. Knight, Elma, WA) walked away with a win. Just eight inches from his best, Frost held despite personal bests by nearly every other competitor. Maddie Rabing (Lakeridge, Lake Oswego, OR) also took the girls competition and then improved on her last throw in the open competition to nearly break 170 feet again. Read more
The University of Washington Huskies will be hosting Washington State University on Saturday for the 94th edition of the UW/WSU dual meet. The dual meet was always one of my favorite meets to compete in, partially because of the rivalry and partially because it was a chance to just have fun. For instance, the dual meet was my only chance to throw the shot put each season. While I was never that great at the event, it was my first love and I really enjoyed tossing it around every once in a while. It was also a chance for me to do something extra to help the team win.
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Below is a video from the 2005 Pac-10 Championships at UCLA’s Drake Stadium. Not my best performance, but fun nevertheless since all three medalists attended high school in western Washington. Read more
Congratulations to the University of Washington women’s cross country team for their recent national title. While it was an exciting season to follow, its end means that the track and field season is near. TrackShark.com, the internet’s leading track and field news site, just published a good article on their front page that discusses how the field events often take a back seat to the running events in our sport. I probably think it is good merely because it quotes me, but click here to read the article here and judge for yourself. The article does make me sound like I am complaining. To the contrary, I really don’t mind being in a sport that is out of the spotlight, but it is important to note the barriers to success that it creates. Read more
