The hammer throw is a herculean event: a competitor uses a wire and metal ball to whirl around like a human top. He or she lets go after four violent rotations and often yells with an intensity that matches the sport.
For almost four years, sophomore transfer Jordan Young has been there and done that.
“During the summer of my junior year in high school, I threw the hammer for the first time,” Young said. “Early on, I had a lot of trouble figuring it out. The turning made me dizzy, and it took a while for that to go away.”
Now, Young is an elite thrower at the Division I level and experiences an entirely different sensation in the circle.
“That 16-pound ball seems weightless when I’m spinning it around and when the wire leaves my hands,” Young said. “A good hammer throw is such a satisfying feeling. That ball goes a long way, and it’s kind of effortless.”
Young is launching the hammer farther than ever before. In Berkeley, California on April 4, he beat Vincenzo Chiariello’s 2012 program record by almost three meters. Young’s mark of 67.15 meters would have secured an eighth-place finish at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he finished 14th (63.73 meters) in his final appearance as an Arizona Wildcat.
Young is now a student at the University and said his decision to attend came from peer influence.
“My buddy Trent [Corney], who I knew from high-school track and field in Canada and is on the football team here, sent me a text message after the NCAAs,” Young said. “He told me how great of a school Virginia was and that he’d only heard positive things about the track and field coaches from other athletes. I decided to check it out, and it wasn’t long before I knew this was where I should be.”
In less than a year, Young’s shear strength and versatility have elevated coach Bryan Fetzer’s program to new heights.
Three weeks ago, Young earned first-team All-American honors with a fourth-place finish in the weight throw at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships. He led the Cavalier men’s team to a top-25 finish.
Young didn’t have much time to reflect or unwind, though. As spring snuck up he transitioned into the outdoor season and the hammer throw.
“Going right from the weight throw to the hammer throw is not an easy transition,” Young said. “There are technical differences, especially with timing. It takes two or three weeks of drills to adjust, but even then I’m still working on my release point.”
Young emphasized the importance of practice and precision in the hammer throw.
“Consistency is so important in the hammer throw, because one little mistake can throw everything off,” Young said. “I’ve made thousands of practice throws to develop that muscle memory. But I know I can be even better, even more consistent.”
Two members of the Cavalier track and field program — assistant coach Martin Maric and sophomore thrower Filip Mihaljevic — have made an especially strong impact on Young by stressing the significance of preparation and repetition. Maric, a 2009 NCAA Champion at the University of California, represented Croatia at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Games in London. Maric’s teaching moments are invaluable to Young and his teammates.
Mihaljevic and Young also learn from one another.
“It’s been amazing to practice with Filip,” Young said. “I looked forward to it from day one — learning from another sophomore who was already a two-time outdoor All-American. Filip’s technique is better than mine, but I’m stronger than him. So we are even, and we push each other all the time. He’s helped me progress faster than I ever thought I could.”
Young — also known as “Danger” — has set high goals for the hammer throw this spring.
“I want to be a first-team All American,” Young said. “If I stay consistent with my technique then I’ll have a great opportunity to do that. I also want to make a throw over 70 meters and finish in the top five — if not first — at the NCAA Championships. I know I can give those two or three favorites a run for their money.”
Young competes in two weekends at the Virginia Challenge, April 17-18. You’ll be safe in the stands or around the fence at Lannigan Field.
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