Recently, Oakdale’s throwing team has seen great success in their competitions. Over the past couple years, the team placed well in every single meet that they’ve participated in. These past few record-breaking seasons have been defining for Oakdale, and the team is trying to find a way to keep this record going.
Though the team is much smaller compared to the runners, they carry a lot of power. The team won an entire meet on December 22, 2023, with Junior Grant Lohr placing first in the boys section and Senior Ange Nganou placing first in the girls section.
Lohr and Nganou, both captains of the team, have set records for the school. On December 8th, Lohr threw a seasonal personal record of 52 feet, 3 inches, setting a first place record for the season. On December 22, Nganou threw 32 feet, 7 inches, placing first in Oakdale’s Indoor Track for Shot put this season.
Practice is key to success. A normal practice consists of hard work and repetition. “We do warm ups with the runners- so warm up laps and the dynamics across the field, then we go to the shotput sector, do our stretches, then we start throwing,” mentioned Junior Maya Mangene. During practices, the throwers will drill and work their way up to basic throws.
The throwing team has grown a lot in the past year, in skill and in size. During the 2022-2023 season, there were only about 6 Varsity throwers. For the 2023-2024 season, there are closer to 10. As the years go on, they’re hoping for more students to join.
While the team is known for their high scores, it is also a great environment. “[My favorite parts of practice are] the people. Everybody likes each other and we all have good relationships, which makes practices really fun.” Mangene expresses.
OHS Throwing has significantly developed in the past few years, whether it is skill-wise or when it comes to team spirit. Even though the team is small, it holds multiple school, county and state records, and they are estimated to go farther for the seasons to come.
