The atmosphere at any national competition is a strange mix of excitement and stress, and this week’s NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento are not expected to be any different. But no matter how overwhelming the scene may get, the discus throwers from the UCLA men’s track and field team are going into their competition with a relaxed state of mind.
UCLA sent four discus throwers to Sacramento to compete in the preliminaries on Wednesday. Junior Greg Garza, freshman Darius Savage, senior Jason Rider, and junior John Caulfield are ranked among the top 20 discus throwers in the country.
Garza currently holds the No. 1 spot in the nation with his best throw at 208 feet, 11 inches. After finishing 23rd two years ago and placing seventh last year at nationals, Garza said his expectations this time around are to make it to Friday’s finals and to come out firing to make a run for the national title.
While the Bruins have trained all season to make sure they are at their peak physical condition for nationals, Garza says that having a good day in the discus ring depends on a thrower’s mentality.
“A big part is relaxing,” he said. “If you’re tense, you have to relax and just let everything flow. Just let your body take over with everything that you have learned already.”
It’s easy for an athlete to get stressed out at the NCAA Championships because the environment is different than most other competitions. The preliminaries are known to be more of a concern than the finals because there are so many competitors to beat out in order to reach the finals.
“You see people stressed out because for some reason the prelims are way more stressful,” Garza said. “You can’t let it get to you. It’s the same old meet, it’s the same ring, it’s just a different environment. You just have to remember that and make your throw.”
UCLA’s Darius Savage is another thrower whose personal goals this weekend are to relax and make it to finals. In his first trip to the NCAA Championships, Savage is the No. 7 discus thrower in the country with a best toss of 200-5. He attributes his trip to Sacramento to coach Art Venegas’ guidance throughout the season.
“I followed all of his instructions and everything he wanted me to do and I’m on my way to nationals,” Savage said.
Both Garza and Savage consider having four Bruin throwers competing at nationals as an advantage. Savage noted that he turns to the other throwers for advice about how to handle the atmosphere at nationals because the pace is quicker than at the high school level. Garza finds having teammates around the discus ring to be reassuring.
“It’s an added comfort zone for us because all four of us are throwing discus,” Garza said. “We will cheer each other on. It helps build the rhythm and confidence and just momentum in the meet.”