EVEN WITH 4-TIME indoor/outdoor champ Tarik O’Hagan (Ole Miss) absent with injury, Ben Smith’s shot put victory was not guaranteed. There were other 20-meter throwers in the competition, and the Oregon left-hander is only a redshirt frosh.
In round 3, the pressure came — Tennessee soph JL Van Rensburg snatched the lead away from Smith with a put of 66-8½ (20.33). Smith then stepped into the ring and calmly snatched it right back with a PR and CL 69-½ (21.04).
“Pressure makes diamonds,” Smith said later.
That was all it took. Despite Van Rensburg having the better series with three over 20, and Nebraska junior Cade Moran also sending a couple that far, neither could threaten Smith’s mark. That third-round throw remained Van Rensburg’s best and Moran took 3rd at 66-3¾ (20.21).
Representing the host team, Smith later faced a gaggle of reporters larger than one normally sees for a shot winner.
“The whole meet I was kind of rushed,” Smith told them. “A little nervous, first time at outdoor nationals.”
So after a leading but lackluster 64-½ (19.52) and a foul, he reined in the nerves for his third throw.
“That one I was just like, focus technique, slowed it down, make it feel good. It felt good. It didn’t feel as super-fast or explosive as it could be.”
Despite Oregon’s storied history, which includes some good throwers, it was the Ducks’ first men’s shot winner since Dean Crouser in 1982. (Crouser, by the way, threw a slightly longer 69-1½ [21.06]).
“To be up there in high numbers with big shot marks, to be looked at and remembered, it’s definitely cool. Oregon’s got crazy history and to be part of it is something.”
Coming out of high school, did he envision reaching the top so quickly?
“Freshman year? No. I mean, obviously, you want to be competing hard and win something big at some point, but coming here as a redshirt freshman, I did not see myself winning something like this.
“I mean, throughout the year, in the back of my head, this could be done. I just gotta stay focused, can’t think about it too much. Definitely this last week, it was in the back of my head. A little stressful. So this was weight off my shoulders.”
MEN’S SHOT RESULTS
(June 10)
1. ***Ben Smith (Or) 69-½ (21.04) PR
(64-½, f, 69-½, 64-½, 65-6, f) (19.52, f, 21.04, 19.52, 19.96, f);
2. **JL Van Rensburg’ (Tn-SA) 66-8½ (20.33) PR
(63-6¼, 66-6½, 66-8½, 65-0, 64-8¾, 66-7) (19.36, 20.28, 20.33, 19.81, 19.73, 20.29);
3. *Cade Moran (Nb) 66-3¾ (20.21) PR
(60-6¾, 64-3, f, 63-6¼, 65-10¼, 66-3¾) (18.46, 19.58, f, 19.36, 20.07, 20.21);
4. **Kobe Lawrence’ (Or-Jam) 65-2¼ (19.87)
(63-8¾, f, f, 65-2¼, f, f) (19.42, f, f, 19.87, f, f);
5. ***Hencu Lamberts’ (Nb-SA) 64-8 (19.71)
(63-2¾, 64-½, 63-4¾, f, 64-¼, 64-8) (19.27, 19.52, 19.32, f, 19.51, 19.71);
6. *Ryan Henry (PennSt) 64-5¾ (19.65) =PR
(60-11¼, 61-8½, 63-4, 61-7¾, 64-5¾, f) (18.57, 18.81, 19.30, 18.79, 19.65, f);
7. Xaver Hastenrath (UCLA) 63-1½ (19.24) (f, 63-1½, f, f, f, 62-3) (f, 19.24, f, f, f, 18.97);
8. **Jacob Cookinham (Il) 62-10¾ (19.17)
(62-10¾, 62-7¼, 42-½, 59-4¾, f, 61-7) (19.17, 19.08, 12.81, 18.10, f, 18.77);
9. ***Jarno Van Daalen’ (Fl-Neth) 62-10½ (19.16); 10. **Dillon Morlock (MiSt) 62-4½ (19.01); 11. *Tyler Michelini (Az) 61-11½ (18.88); 12. **Ethan Elliott (Drake) 61-5¾ (18.74); 13. *Menachem Chen’ (ArSt-Isr) 61-5 (18.72); 14. ***Seamus Malaski (Pur) 61-3 (18.67); 15. **Grayson Brashear (Ky) 59-11 (18.26); 16. Wade Shomper (Buck) 59-10½ (18.25); 17. ***Omar Hussein (ArSt) 59-10½ (18.25); 18. Obiora Okeke (NDm) 59-7 (18.16); 19. Quentin Peterson (GW) 59-7 (18.16); 20. **Shaiquan Dunn’ (Tx-Jam) 59-¼ (17.99); 21. *Cordell Nwokeji (Hous) 58-½ (17.69); 22. Dylan Lambrecht (PennSt) 56-10¼ (17.33); 23. **Emeka Ugwu’ (Pitt-Ngr) 56-8¾ (17.29);… nm[x, x, p]—Colby Morlock (MiSt).
