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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 13, 1983)
Sports Hammering up a storm Landerholm assaults record book By Doug Levy Of th# Emerald Track meets at Oregon are always a hot item. Everybody, it seems, knows about the Alberto Salazars and the Dean Crousers. Fans turn out in droves to watch them. And while people flock to the stands to watch the events at Hayward Field, a few guys adjacent to the track swinging a ball around their heads and unleashing it toward 18th Street go practically unnotic ed every week. One of those guys is Kent Landerholm, the Oregon school record-holder in the hammer with a toss of 221-7. Not many people trek to the hammer circle to watch Landerholm, but maybe they should. “It would be nice to have people watching me — I sup pose everyone likes atten Landerholm log SEASON BEST 158-0 192-0 191-0 199-0 221-7 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 tion," says Landerholm, a 22-year-old senior for the Ducks. “The few times the hammer (competition) is out in the middle of the track, I get really excited about having people watch me. “But if I really wanted atten tion, I wouldn’t be throwing the hammer,” he adds. Indeed, the hammer has never been one of the glamour events in track, although “a lot more guys are throwing it now,” says Landerholm. The hammer was certainly not on Landerholm's mind when he came to Oregon. “I came here as a discus thrower, and I came in with Dean,” recalls Landerholm. “It became obvious that Dean would be the discus thrower, so Frank Morris (Oregon State coach and then an assistant at Oregon) came up to me and asked me to throw the ham mer. I’d never done it, but I’m naturally built for it and it came really quick." Still, Landerholm wonaers about what could’ve been. He also starred in football and basketball at Columbia River High School in Washington, was recruited for football by several colleges, and played basketball constantly. "Basketball, that was my favorite,” he says. “I used to play seven or eight hours a day. Me and my friends would get up, play basketball, eat, and play more basketball. “But l was just too damn short.” Landerholm is 6-2 and 235 solid pounds. “It’s too bad — everyone else in my family is tall, I’m kind of bummed out about being short.” So, being “short”, Landerholm accepted the hammer. And he improved quickly. He threw 158-0 while redshirting his first year, and then zoomed to 192-0 his freshman year. He also made a big change in technique, throwing off of three turns in stead of two. “Most two turn throwers, like John McArdle (ex-Oregon record-holder in the hammer), are huge, and three turn throwers tend to rely more on quickness and speed. Those are my strengths,” says Landerholm. Landerholm leveled off at 191-0 his sophomore year, then finished fourth in the Pac-10 with a 188-0 throw. Then, before his junior year, injuries struck. Landerholm had every injury problem unuer me sun — aniue pro blems, torn muscles, injured tendons, back problems and the biggie, shoulder problems. "I fell behind technically, but mentally is where I really lost it,” says Landerholm about the flurry of injuries. “I started being afraid of being hurt. I never used to admit that, but I was, and I never had been before — I’d never even been injured before.” Attempting to deal with his injuries, Landerholm again failed to improve much his junior year, although he did throw 201-0 the summer after that season. It was afte' his junior year that Landerholm made the decision which he claims led to his emergence as a premier thrower. “I got some money from my parents, took some that I had, and went to Europe,” says Landerholm. “I hoofed it everywhere and had a great time, but I also worked on my throwing. I’d decided that I either needed to improve or pitch up the tent.” Casual Family Style Dininy Featuring a wide variety of entrees Lunch 11 am - 5 pm Sunday Brunch 10 am - 1 pm Dinner Nightly from 5 pm Come and enjoy our new salad bar MABIE CULLENDER’S. 1300 Valley River Dr. 484-7111 He spent three weeks in Norway and two more in Scotland, where he met United States Olympic Committee hammer coach Stewart Togher. Togher, says Landerholm, was the kind of meticulous coach he needed to help him improve. “He watched everything I did,” says Landerholm. “And he had me keep a diary of my progress. When I got home, I took a few weeks off, and I knew exactly what I needed to do.” "I want to win the Pac-10 pretty bad,” says Landerholm. "It'll be between me and Tore, and I think it’ll take 230.” Cash For Textbooks Mon.- Frl. Smith Family Bookstore 768 E. 13th 1 Bl. From Campus 345-1651 EMU Cultural Forum Presents the Wil lamette Valley Folk Festival May 20,21,22 "A celebration of musical heritage. " Featuring: Mary McCaslin Jim Ringer, Friday Obo Addy 6C Kukrudu, Saturday Sandy Bradley & The Small Wonder String Band, Sunday To be held on the east lawn of the EMU from noon until night. All events in the Ballroom in the event of rain. Q a Coupons in the Emerald save you money, j Check every page, every day It pays.
