Brown’s breakout a boost for UA BY BOB HOLT
Posted on Friday, April 9, 2004
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas javelin thrower Eric Brown needs a new goal.
Brown, a sophomore from Baldwin City, Kan., had set a goal of throwing 230 feet by the end of this outdoor season. That seemed reasonable — within reach but still a notable improvement — after he threw a best of 206-7 last year.
Then Brown opened this season by throwing 235-6 last weekend in Austin at the Texas Relays to become the first Razorback to win the javelin in the meet’s 77-year history.
Brown threw Friday night with the "B" group but was declared the winner when none of the throwers in Saturday’s "A" group could beat him. "That was an amazing performance by Eric," Arkansas field events coach Dick Booth said. "I don’t think any of us could have known that was going to happen. Now Eric’s kind of opened up the box."
A realistic goal now for Brown, who will throw at 11 a.m. Saturday at the John McDonnell Invitational in the Razorbacks ’ lone outdoor home meet, is breaking the school record of 241-11 set by Ed Kaminski in 1990. "I didn’t think I would have a chance to get [the record] this year, but it’s definitely a good goal to have now," said Brown, who has moved into second on Arkansas’ all-time list and ranks seventh nationally this season. "If I put things together, I don’t really know the limit.
" I really was thinking that 230 would be a good goal for this year and would get me into nationals, so breaking that mark the first meet, I didn’t expect that at all. "
Brown, who won two Kansas 4A state titles and threw 215 as a high school junior, struggled last year with injuries. He had a pulled groin early in the season, then pulled a back muscle late in the season.
After hitting the weights hard and going from 180 pounds to 205 as a freshman, the 6-4 Brown said he was more susceptible to injuries.
" Last year I got so much stronger so fast that I think it kind of took my joints a while to catch up to the rest of me, "he said." That’s why I kept getting pulled muscles. "Now I’m used to the weight and everything’s stabilized."
Brown also has benefited from volunteer coaching provided by Andrew McDonagh, who was a Mid-American Conference javelin champion at Western Michigan and now lives in Fayetteville and works as a manager for Wal-Mart.
McDonagh volunteers his time to help coach Brown, who doesn’t have any other javelin throwers on the team with whom to practice. "Andrew has helped me tremendously," Brown said. "With all of his experience, he knows what kind of workouts to do."
Arkansas has been known primarily for distance runners and jumpers. "Most of the time people see I’m from Arkansas and they’re confused because they think I’m so big to be a distance runner," Brown said. "They never even think we have a javelin thrower."
Booth began recruiting Brown after they met in the summer of 2001 at an Olympic development camp in San Diego. Brown narrowed his choices to Arkansas and Kansas, then decided to leave his home state and signed with the Razorbacks. "I love KU, but I just wanted to get a little farther away from home," Brown said.
Booth said the Arkansas coaches "sold Eric on the idea he could be special for our program because we didn’t have a javelin thrower."
Brown said 15 family members, including his parents and grandparents, will come from Kansas to Fayetteville to watch him compete Saturday. "I definitely want to throw well when they’re all here, but that’s not a bad kind of pressure," Brown said. "It’s an extra boost."
After opening this season by competing at Austin, Brown hopes to throw there again when Texas hosts the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 9-12. "You get a good feeling for a place when you’ve thrown well there before," Brown said. "Starting the season in Austin the way I did was a huge plus and has given me a lot of confidence."
Andrew McDonagh 73.39m Wal-Mart Store 0001 Volunteer Throws Coach http://www.cox-internet.com/coachmcdonagh/
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