Sports__
Oregon’s Flax has the tools to be a champion
by lawn Kmmunii
Of Ihr I mrr«M
With two throws remaining in the hammer c.om
I n't it ion ol Inst year's I'm it) track And field champion
ships, defending champion ken I lax was second. Mis
twist throw of 2!i8 font was two and a half feel behind
Washington Slate University's Tore Custafsson. the
1*182 and *8.1 champion.
Flax entered the <:in le for his fifth throw working
tor one technical point that had eluded him in his four
previous throws. He threw 247-1. but felt what had
been missing and told hirnself. "Okay, that’s it. All I
have to do is this one thing."
(iustnisson in another flight ol competition, threw
24 t on his fifth toss, increasing his lead over Flax to
five feet. , '
Flax went to tire circle for his.final throw
"I’ve inner been in deeper concentration." he
«. savs. "1 jus) went and did the one technical point that I
was working on It went I d fallen down in Ihecircle. I
didn't know that t knew that it was a pretty good
I It row;.." • T . V.','
•’j' It ilevr 24.08 the farthest : throw ever bv an
Ainerican-born'rolleginn and eight, inches farther.than
Ciustiifsson's ThisI throw of the dav. Custafsson:
however had pile throw left He fouled. I'lax had his
am ond F,ii i untie
I wo weeks ialei ai the Nl! A A i hampinnships.
t .ustalsson s first throw went 2410111 Flax threw 244 a
on Ins fifth throw a personal lies!, anil put himsell in a
position to win or lose on his final throw He could do
no lietter ami ended up third.
Flax is still frustrated by his final throw at the
M;AA meet lie prides himsell on being a fierce com
pi lilior Shove all else and thrives on having to will on
Ins titih oi sivlli throw s Fli.it he was not atile to do so in
the most important meet of the year has been a great
motivating factor ever since. His main objective this
\eat is the win the NCAA championship
I pist haye to shoot for NCs.” he says. "That's
ready all I'm reallv concerned alsiul Anything else is
lust secontlan It might not lie good to pul so much
pressure on one meet, hut that’s the only chance I've
got And it would Is- good Oregon's never had an NO
i Hampton tin the hammer) And I wouldn't mind Is-ing
'lie Ills!
I n du sii I lax must again lai e (luslatssou. a Swede
in his Unui year a! U'SU. Their first encounter this
season in the WSU dual meet ended with Custafsson
throwing 244-1 to Flax's 244-0 Flax, however, had
been bothered In a pullisl abdominal muscle for two
weeks lietore the meet and had onl\ thrown 18 times in
pi.Htice when 15(1 weekly throws is typical.
To come so close to upsetting Custafssuu. w ho has
thrown 250-4 this season, after little throwing practice
was encouraging. Despite healing Custafsson in the
|*a< Ids and lining ranked the number two American
hammer thrower lor 1*185 In I'rai k and I ield Mows.
! lax considers himsell the underdog whenever the two
i ompete.
"I would be the returning champion for Pac-tOs.
lull I think hi; wmihl have tu lie a slight favorite." Flax
says; Hit’s thrown eight feel farther than I have this
vi-ar. ami his lifetime Is-st is still almost seven feel liir*
ther. lie vvnulil just have to Is- a favorite."
Flax is well aware ol the advantages of being the
underdog.
"IFs a position I prefer." he savs. "I guess I've
Ihhmi an underdog in a lot ol the logger meets. I hat s
great Imcause it takes a lot ol pressure oil von It s not
like you have to do this It s always nice to go out and
surprise people"
Flax has been surprising a lot of (teople by the
speed at which he has become one ol America's top
hammer throwers, lie had never thrown a hammer
In-ton; walking on to the Oregon track team five years
ago (aiming out of high school, he knew that he was
too small to throw the shot put and discus or play
Pac-10 football.
So when a family friend suggested Flax try the ham
tiler he thought it was a good idea Within five months
he had broken the freshmen si liool record and won
luninr Nationals, laisl summer he progressed to third -it
the N(!AAs and TA(Is. before placing seventh at the
World University Games.
Flax's size may Ik; another reason he loves the
underdog role Itv weightmen's standards he is con
sidered small at 5-foot-III. 215 pounds, lie has a
l_* inch waist. :tl) inch thighs and must buy .'Hi-inch
Levis to lit over them. ( aimpared to (histalsson. who is
5-foot-H. 24(1 pounds, or |ud Logan, the (i-fool-4.
2I>H-pound American record holder in the hammer.
Flax is small Itolh (aislafsson and Ijigan are i on
siderahlv stronger than Flax. Logan being 5(1 pen enl
stronger than Flax m .ill his weight lifts
"There's just no doubt the man is an animal." Flax
says of i,ogan. "He's just completely barbaric when it
comes to lifting weights. But as far as technique and
speed in the circle. I guess I have him. lie’s got longer
arms, more weight to counter the hall with, all the
strength in the world to throw far. and yet he was only
nine feet ahead of me Iasi year. Which really isn't that
far."
What Flax lacks in size anti strength he more than
makes up for with speed and technique. Father than
worrying about how much he can lienchpress. squat or
cicait. Flax and his coach. SteWart Togher. concentrate'
on how his strength can be applied .to the hammer.
They emphasize specific: strength and efficient techni
que to throw far. Which means Flax, as a hammer
thrower, w ill do different tiffs than a discus thrower or
shot putter.
Togher lielieVes Max's size; is not as important as
many people have claimed it to be.."
“The size is not a factor vet." he says. "Until we
start throwing HO meters (2t»2T»). It's an event where
there are many sizes. If veni re quii k vou can be small
I bis week has IVoon the first since Flax pulled his
abdominals that he has been able In train and throw
normally lie will throw Saturday in the dual meet
against California and them flv to los Angeles to com
pete Sunday in the Mount Sac Relays against logan and
a slew' of other top Americans
"The most important thing is the dual meet." Flax
xa\s. "II we win the dual mint we re dual-meet cham
pions. I've never lieen a part ot that."
As to the competition at Mt. Sac:. Flax says.
"F very body will tie there I guarantee you'll see the
Americ an rexord (logan's 2!W»-:t) go."
Flax is not concerned .iImiiiI whether he cum throw
that far
"I’eople always say. I low far are you going to
throw this year?' I say beteen 1(H) feel and 200 feet
Ixx ause you never know what can happen. You can
always throw bad and never throw tar again, or you
i on Id just go crazv and make a breakthrough and throw
really tar. I try to concentrate on wh.it it takes to throw
tai instead ol the distance. W hatever it takes to win.'
Sports Shorts
The Oregon gymnastics team lias signed two high
school athletes to letters nl-inlenl. Duck coai h I'lil I toy (I
annnuni ed Tluirsdav
|enni Macalutas. .1 native of Aina. Hawaii, and
(ieleste (iarcia of West l.inn. Ore. revealed their inten
tions to < nine to (tregon In join Kugene's I lawmi Wilson •
as high si hoot seniors who have committed to the
I )m ks this season
The I tin ks are coming oil impressive year in u hit h
lli.\ finished with Iheir Itesl re« ord ever at Mill The\
treat several lop-lwenty teams and sent individual per
lormer Nickv Kden to NCAAs. the first time an Oregon
performer has lieen to nationals
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