By Rich Fisher | Correspondent
When it comes to Donovan Catholic graduate Alyssa Wilson, greatness seems to have no ceiling.
The most prodigious thrower in New Jersey high school history needed just one year of college to put forth the greatest throwing performance in USA Track & Field Junior National Championships history. As a true freshman for the University of California, Los Angeles, Wilson made history the weekend of June 15-17 by becoming the first junior woman to qualify for Team USA in three throwing events. It is Wilson’s final year in junior competition, which is for ages 20 and younger.
“It’s just crazy because that’s been my goal ever since my sophomore year in high school,” said Wilson, who returned June 18 to New Jersey. “I wanted to be an all-around thrower in all three events. I guess this just sort of proves that all my hard work has paid off, and the time my coaches and everyone has put into me has definitely worked in a good way.”
While competing at the University of Indiana, the Jackson resident took second in the discus June 15 with a throw of 53.84 meters (176-feet, 8 inches). It marked her third time cracking the 53 meter mark this season.
A day later, she won the hammer with a throw of 66.33 (217-7), which was slightly shy of her personal best 66.99. Her three fair throws were the top three among all the hammer competitors.
On the final day, a shot put throw of 16.80 (55-1-1-2) gave Wilson another first place, and landed her on Team USA for the third straight year as a junior.
Wilson will now compete in the World Junior Championships in Tampere from July 10-15 in Finland.
And while it was always Wilson’s goal to excel in all three, UCLA throws coach John Frazier had to be convinced she could handle that kind of load throughout an entire season.
“It was very impressive to see Alyssa’s hard work pay off this weekend,” Frazier said on UCLA’s website, uclabruins.com. “From the beginning, it was her idea to continually do three events throughout our competitions for the year. I kept reminding her about being smart in the weight room and in organizing our training sessions in order to avoid burning out or overdoing it. Looking back, it has paid off.”
Wilson said she did not have to talk her way into doing all three, but had to show she was capable.
“Ever since I went in, he was like, ‘Yeah you can do all three events for me,’” Wilson said. “But he was talking about letting go of one of them at certain meets, so I wouldn’t burn out toward the end of the season in the big championship meets that matter. But I felt I was capable of doing it. I guess I had to prove myself.”
Going the Distance
Frazier and Wilson worked to devise a training schedule that would keep her energized. Basically it came down to practicing five to six days per week. They focused on hammer every day, and alternated between discus and shot the other days.
Entering Nationals, Wilson’s goals were minimal.
“I wanted to come out of there as an All-American,” she said. “I knew I had a good shot at doing it in the hammer [her top event]. I wasn’t expecting much in the other two, the way my season was going.”
Not to mention, the temperatures in Bloomington exceeded 90 degrees each day, as Alyssa said she lost 10 pounds over the weekend. But she persevered.
“I kind of just focused on my main points and my technique,” Wilson said. “I just trusted what coach Frazier and my dad told me. Everything just clicked. I definitely had more confidence at Junior Nationals then I did at outdoor NCAA Nationals [held the previous weekend].”
And yet, Wilson was even better at the NCAAs with two of her marks, although she did not place as high due to competing against some of the best thrower in the world.
But in being the nation’s lone athlete to qualify for three individual events at the NCAAs, Wilson held her own at the University of Oregon. While in Eugene, she was seeded 20th in shot and took sixth with a personal record 17.21 (56-5-3-4); and was seeded seventh in the hammer and took fourth with a PR 66.99 (219-9). Slippery conditions made things tough in the discus and Wilson fouled out, which was a tough break as at least one of her throws would have given her a third medal.
Preparing for the Future
Wilson will be making her third straight trip to the Junior World Championships, having gone in the shot as a junior in high school, and in the shot and hammer last year. Her comfort level should be at its peak.
“Everything is going to work out so well because I have all those other experiences under my belt; I know what to expect on a world stage,” Wilson said.
She also has the added experience of living 3,000 miles from home for nine months, which helps in the general maturation process. Wilson has enjoyed life on the West Coast, saying the only real differences are the consistently warm temperatures and the accents.
“I’d say it’s the same in LA, everyone is fast-paced,” Wilson said. “It’s similar to here. The weather is different, and they make fun of the way I say water and coffee. But it’s a lot of fun.”
A parishioner of St. Joseph, Toms River, Wilson, also takes time to pray before certain meets, a practice she started in high school.
Wilson will enjoy home cooking for two-and-half weeks before leaving for Finland July 7. She returns later in the month and will not go back to UCLA until mid-September. Training will continue throughout the summer, however.
“I’m one of those types of athletes who never likes to have an off day,” she said. “My coaches tell me, ‘You’re gonna burn out, just take a day off.’ But when you’re doing well, you just want to keep improving.”