KEITH ENRIQUEZ/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Jack
Clamon (crouching) and Dan Ames, Scott
Moser, and Scott Wiegand (standing, left
to right) have all thrown over 59 feet.
By J.P. Hoornstra
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The shot put, that 16-pound, smooth, metallic sphere, smothered
in a powdery layer of chalk from the palm of a burly thrower, is
undergoing a renaissance.
Several burly throwers at colleges across the country have made
the throwing of the dense ball an art form once again, and UCLA is
no exception. The four-man contingent of Scott Wiegand, Dan Ames,
Scott Moser, and Jack Clamon has transformed the shot put into the
Bruins’ strongest men’s event this year.
Feeding off each other’s energy, training side-by-side,
the four UCLA shot putters are gaining momentum as the outdoor
season progresses. Along the way, they give the young UCLA
men’s squad a chance to win every time out.
“During competition, it’s nice to have three other
people that you know are going to back you up and throw far,”
said Ames, “and if you guys can all get excited at the same
time…”
“Yeah,” interjected Moser. “If you know
you’re not going to win, you know one of your teammates
will.”
All four have been winners throughout their careers.
Interestingly, all began throwing shot after being recruited off
their high school football teams as freshmen.
Wiegand, a junior, claims the strongest personal record out of
the group at 64-7 3/4. Originally recruited as an offensive
lineman, Wiegand redshirted his freshman football season (1998) and
began competing for track the following year. He has since emerged
as a shot put specialist.
Ames has topped out on two occasions at 63-10 1/4, most recently
at the Cal-Nevada Championships March 30. The sophomore is
currently ranked even higher in the discus (PR of 200-1), but UCLA
coach Art Venegas believes he “could potentially be even
better in the shot.”
Moser threw a personal best of 62-5 last season, but an elbow
injury has limited his shot putting this year. Like Ames, Moser is
currently an even bigger threat in the discus and also throws
hammer, where he boasts PRs of 206-8 and 206-7, respectively.
Clamon topped out at 59-7 at the Texas relays his sophomore
year. The native of Atlanta, Ga., has battled through injuries and
is “hoping to get a big PR coming up” during this, his
junior year.
These personal records place each of them among the elite
throwers in the country. On most Division I squads, each would be
considered the top shot putter.
UCLA has always had a strong tradition in the shot put; John
Godina set the existing shot put record (72-2 1/2) as a Bruin in
1995.
“(This group) compares favorably to some of our better
squads,” said Venegas. “We’ve had years when
we’ve had one exceptional thrower, but they are talented and
hard-working,” said Venegas.
On Feb. 15, Idaho senior Joaquim Olsen threw 70-5 3/4, just
inches off Godina. And across the country, several shot putters are
threatening to rewrite the record books.
“I think it is no coincidence that all of them are
spinners,” said Arizona State throwing coach and former Bruin
shot putter Don Babbitt.
The rotational technique, spinning within the shot put circle,
is the most widely used technique in the event. The glide technique
involves rocking backwards into the release position. Clamon is the
only glider on UCLA’s team.
“I believe the U.S. is the world leader in teaching
(rotational) technique,” said Babbitt.
“If you wanted to be a top soccer player, you will
probably need to go play professionally in Europe to hone your
skills to the highest level. The same thing is happening over
here with regard to rotational shot putters.”
At the most recent NCAA indoor finals on March 9, Nebraska
sophomore Carl Meyerscough, a native of Hambleton, England, won the
shot at 69-6 3/4. Olsen, recruited out of Denmark, threw just 2 1/4
inches less for second place. Two others ““ Missouri junior
Christian Cantwell and SMU senior Janus Robberts, a native South
African ““ threw further than 66 feet.
No athlete had eclipsed 66 feet at the previous three indoor
finals, and the impact of foreigners competing at American colleges
is an increasingly important factor in the renaissance.
“Foreigners are a little more mercenary (than American
collegians). It’s like, “˜I’m getting paid, I
better come through.’ Athletically, (college) is huge for
them,” said Venegas.
But all the shot putters ““ both American and foreign-born
““ are taking no prisoners this season, and the four UCLA
Americans comprise a shot put squad as deep as any in the NCAA.
The 2002 men’s shot put show takes center stage at Drake
Stadium beginning tomorrow at 3 p.m.