Get to know the Saluki Track and Field national qualifiers
06/07/2015 | 12:00:00 | DawgTracker
By Tyler Wooten
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- School may be out for most collegians, but four Saluki track and field stars have extended their seasons to the maximum after qualifying for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The outdoor national meet will be held once again at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., from June 10-13.
For the first time in its history, the national meet will have unprecedented national television coverage -- including comprehensive coverage of the field events for the first time on ESPN3. Of the 35 total hours of coverage this year, 12 will be live television broadcasts on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU -- with the remaining 23 hours shown online on ESPN3. Previous seasons only featured 11 hours of coverage in any capacity.
Four Salukis will compete in that national spotlight in TrackTown: freshman and defending indoor NCAA shot put champion Raven Saunders, MVC hammer throw champion DeAnna Price, all-time SIU indoor and outdoor shot put record holder Josh Freeman and two-time defending MVC outdoor triple jump champion Luke James.
Become better acquainted with SIU's national qualifying athletes with our mini-interviews below.
Raven Saunders
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Charleston, S.C.
Event: Shot Put
National Ranking: 2nd, 18.23m (59-09.75) | Outdoor American Jr., MVC and SIU all-time record
Regional Finish: 6th, 16.34m (53-07.50)
Regional Qualifier In... Shot Put, Discus (fouled out)
Overall Career Best: 18.62m (61-01.25) | Indoor American Jr., MVC and SIU all-time record, won NCAA title
MVC Outdoor Finish: 1st, 18.12m (59-05.50) | MVC Championships all-time record
Nationals History: Won 2015 indoor NCAA title in the shot put, first true freshman ever in available records
Quick Fact: Only American Junior to ever throw 18 meters, has now done so seven times
On having a target on her back
"It feels great. It's a really good feeling. It reminds me of last year (as a high school senior) because I had such a successful season last year. Coming into the national meet, it's just another big meet -- just like any other big meet that I've ever had. I'm just looking forward to going in and doing what I need to do."
On throwing in multiple events this season (besides the shot put and discus)
"It was nice to pick up a third event (the hammer). I actually like the hammer. I always wanted to try it, and I finally had the chance with coming to college. Being able to get experience and progress really well in three events at one time, it's really changed my perspective on training and being just a one or two-event athlete. It's actually worked out pretty well."
What it will take to win another national title
"I think it will be around 61 to 62 feet again this year. It all comes down to what everyone is feeling like and what everyone is throwing. For me, mentally it's going to be the exact same thing: to go in with the mindset that I want to win this title and that I really have to work my behind off on every single throw. I can't take any throw for granted. It will be the same as usual, I just need to really be prepared and be ready to go after it at any point in time."
On her decision to come to SIU, one year later
"This year has flown by. I feel great about (the decision). Of course during this first year I had times where I thought, `What if I went to the big school?' and the things that I would have gotten. But, the material things can't compare to a national title and the numbers that I'm lifting in the weight room and the numbers I'm throwing at practice and the teammates I have here. Those things can't compare. I'm really proud and happy about my decision, because now in talking to other collegiate throwers, when I tell them who my coaches are they are completely shocked and surprised. For me, I did my research and knew where to go to get the best out of me."
Favorite Movie: Little Rascals
Favorite TV Show: South Park
Favorite Musical Act: Patti LaBelle or Aretha Franklin
Favorite Food: Chicken
DeAnna Price
Class: Redshirt Junior
Hometown: Moscow Mills, Mo.
Event: Hammer Throw
National Ranking: 3rd, 67.72m (222-02) | 4th all-time at SIU
Regional Finish: 2nd, 67.32m (220-10)
Regional Qualifier In... Hammer Throw (2nd), Shot Put (21st) and Discus (35th) | One of only six females nationwide to triple
MVC Outdoor Finish: 1st, 66.28m (217-05)
Nationals History: Three-time All-American -- twice in the hammer throw, once in the weight throw indoors in 2015 (3rd)
Quick Fact: Only Saluki female to ever earn All-American during their first two seasons.
On returning from injury this season
"In the very beginning -- I'm not going to lie -- I was really scared. For eight months I kept trying and kept failing and I was getting so upset. I felt like I was reaching for something, but it was out of reach. I ended up losing about 20 pounds of muscle whenever I got hurt. When I got back I was weighing pretty light, and then Coach Smith told me I was going to throw indoors. I did everything I could to gain weight back. I didn't have the strength yet, so I tried to compensate by being bigger to be able to throw it farther. Now I'm trimming down to be able to take pressure off my knee, and every day I'm doing side-squats just to keep it strong because any day it could just give out. Right now, all I know is that I'm working as hard as I've ever worked in my life."
On setting goals for herself
"I want to be the best. I see it. I can see what I need to do. I know I keep getting hurt, but to me that's just something I've got to hurdle over. I just have to say to myself that I'm going to get through this and anything that gets in my way I have to jump over it. I can't be content with where I am because that's not being an athlete. Being an athlete is being able to set a goal, hit that goal and then set another one. If you don't, you're stuck. You don't go any further."
On being able to train around some of the best athletes in the world in Jeneva McCall and Gwen Berry
"It has been an extreme blessing throwing with Jeneva and Gwen. I see their marks in practice, and it's something to go after; it's something to strive for. It gives me a huge advantage. They'll throw a certain mark and I'm just happy if I throw around five-to-six feet from that mark. I'm just technically a junior, these are pro athletes that have been out for years. That pushes me to keep up."
On her expectations for Eugene and being a national title contender
"It's whoever is most prepared at that time and that date, and if you can get the job done. If you can get there and you're rattled, that's going to affect you. I'm already watching videos of Eugene, I'm trying to get into that mental set. In practice I'm preparing by knocking out my first three throws. In Texas, my footwork was the worst I've ever had but I threw it far. So now I'm telling myself I need to work on my footwork and make sure I solidify it for when I do get nervous. It's inevitable, you're going to get a little rattled. It's a high-performance meet."
"I've never been one of the top dogs. I'm always usually that underdog that comes up to bite people. It's different. You have to have a completely different mindset. I'm going to do everything I can, because if I can do what I know I can do I know I have a really fantastic shot at getting that NCAA title. But, a lot of girls out there are saying the same thing."
Favorite Movie: Zombieland
Favorite TV Show: Young and Hungry
Favorite Musical Act: Tim McGraw, Beyonce or Rehab
Favorite Food: Chinese
Josh Freeman
Class: Junior
Hometown: Fox River Grove, Ill.
Event: Shot Put
National Ranking: 13th, 19.70m (64-07.75)
Regional Finish: 3rd, 19.60m (64-03.75)
Regional Qualifier In... Shot Put, Discus (20th)
Overall Career Best: 19.86m (65-02.00) | Outdoor SIU and MVC Championships record (2014)
MVC Outdoor Finish: 1st, 19.70m (64-07.75)
Nationals History: Four-time national qualifier | 2015 indoor First-Team All-American in the shot (8th place)
Quick Fact: One of only two Salukis to ever double at an MVC outdoor meet in the shot and discus, the other being throws coach John Smith (1984)
On this season thus far
"I feel like it started off kind of rough. It started off kind of low, not exactly where I wanted to be. I was still fighting off the hand injury from indoors, but I feel like I'm starting to get back into shape and showing more of what I'm capable of doing. I'm hitting marks close to the MVC record in practice and they feel almost effortless and easy. Coach (Smith) and I have been waiting for it, and we really think I have a big throw coming down soon. Hopefully it will come at the NCAA Championships. We both feel like it's been a good outdoor season, but we're just waiting on a big throw to come through and get the ball rolling from there."
On using indoor experience at the national meet to help him outdoors
"After the experience this indoor season, fighting through the injury and still being able to go to indoors to salvage that All-American award, it puts my mind at ease going to the outdoor championships knowing that I've done this before with more on my plate. I'll be going in hopefully completely healthy. I think even at the regional meet I figured out how to calm my nerves and just focus on enjoying the competition rather than looking at it as a battle to the death. I think I've finally found a way to get myself past that point to where I can step into the ring not nervous, but focused and ready to go."
On the level of competition in the men's shot put
"It's fun being able to compete with these guys. A majority of them are graduating this year, which will open up a lot for next year. But these are going to be the guys even after college that will be around as well. It's fun getting used to that big level of competition and the big throws. Coach and I both believe that if I ever hit what I'm capable of that I'll be right there with them. For me, it's not so much worrying about what those guys are doing. It's going to be worrying about what I need to do when I get there, accomplishing that and whatever comes after that."
On goals for Eugene
"I'd like to throw a PR and obviously get over 20 meters, potentially get a US qualifying mark at 20.15. Obviously, I want another All-American award. As far as placing specifically, I'm just going to do my job and throw as big a PR as I can and from there we'll see how everything falls with a field like this. It'll be fun, it will be interesting, and with the way things have been looking these past few weeks at the Missouri Valley and regional meets, we're definitely in good shape."
Favorite Movie: Friday Night Lights
Favorite TV Show: SportsCenter
Favorite Musical Act: Rise Against
Favorite Food: Steak
Luke James
Class: Senior
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
Event: Triple Jump
National Ranking: 26th, 15.85m (52-00.00) | 5th all-time at SIU
Regional Finish: 11th, 15.57m (51-01.00)
Overall Career Best: 15.92m (52-02.75) - wind-aided
MVC Outdoor Finish: 1st, 15.92m (52-02.75) - wind-aided
Nationals History: This is James' first national meet as a Saluki; participated at NAIA nationals at Bethel
Quick Fact: James is a two-time MVC outdoor triple jump champion and two-time indoor runner-up. After going 10 years without one, SIU has won five MVC triple jump titles in the last four years, including the last four outdoors
On his superb senior season and what contributed toward it
"It was last summer. I stayed over the summer for the first time and worked really hard and did a lot of extra stuff. It shows through my season I've had."
On helping contribute to the first Saluki men's MVC outdoor title since 1992
"Coach (Andre) Scott just told us what we have to do, what we needed to do and we got it done. I wanted to make him proud, and I know the rest of the other jumpers wanted to make him proud, too. We're just a really close group, we had a lot of chemistry in the jumps area this year and all of us just put our heads together."
On qualifying for the national meet under stressful circumstances
James was the third-to-last competitor to jump and had to improve on his final attempt to make it into the national meet
"There was a lot of stuff going around in my head, but I didn't want my senior year to end right there (in Texas). I knew that I had goals to make it to the national meet, and I wanted to make sure I accomplished that. I just went after it and gave it my all on my last one, and luckily it was good enough to get in."
On being excited for a trip to Oregon
"I'm really excited, I've never been there before. It's good to know that hard work pays off. I'm very blessed to be here. Back then (at Bethel), I never thought I'd be at this point. I'm really happy and grateful that I'm here."
On setting goals and the level of competition in the men's triple jump
"It's been my goal to be an All-American. My mindset going into this track meet is that I'm not too worried about going in to beat anybody. I'm just going out there to do the best that I can do. I've really got nothing to lose at this point so I'm just going to go out there and give it the best that I have."
On putting his name into the SIU record books
SIU has not had an All-American in the triple jump since 1976, when Bahamian Olympian Phil Robins won the NCAA outdoor title.
"It would mean the world to me. I know I've worked hard for this moment -- who's to say that I can't? I'm just going to go out there and do my best and hopefully make the school proud."
Favorite Movie: Taken
Favorite TV Show: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Favorite Musical Act: Kendrick Lamar
Favorite Food: Shrimp
Players Mentioned
