By Katie Zigelman, News Staff
Senior thrower Patrick Jablonski won both the shot put and the discus events this weekend at the track and field team’s final home meet of the season. He also qualified for the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A) championship meet for both events. His performance earned him Huntington News Player of the Week honors.
Jablonski said winning both events after all of his hard work was satisfying.
“There is a lot of variability in these events. Part of it is luck, but being able to pull everything together feels good,” Jablonski said.
Jablonski consistently finished among the top ten in both shot put and discus events during his first two years of collegiate track, the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons.
He redshirted his third season in 2009-2010, in order to have one more year of eligibility after this season.
This year he competed at the IC4A championships during the indoor season in the shot put event. So far in this outdoor season, Jablonski set the meet record for the shot put at the Ramapo Invitational where he won the events with a throw of 50 feet, 4 inches. He also achieved his season-best shot put throw of 53 feet, 1 inch at the Duke Invitational. He discussed this meet as a highlight of his track career.
“I’ve been pretty consistent over the last two years,” Jablonski said. “I improved two feet in two years and then two feet in just one meet.”
Head track and field coach Sherman Hart said Jablonski had some great performances this year.
“He has always been in the shadow, but he is really coming into his own this year,” Hart said. “He has great leadership both on and off the field. He is one of the oldest throwers and is always guiding the younger throwers in the right direction.”
Jablonski talked about the overall team’s performance this season.
“We’ve been doing really well. We’re coming together as a group,” Jablonski said.
He explained that although the team is slightly segmented into runners, throwers and jumpers, they have spent so much time traveling on the road they have all bonded.
Hart is hoping to see a double win from Jablonski at the CAA championship meet May 6 and 7 and Jablonski’s ultimate goal for the rest of the season is to go to the regional championship meet for at least one event.
The Deerfield state native has been competing in throwing events since he was in the seventh grade. He originally became interested in the sport when his elementary school gym coach brought out a shot put for his class to try.
“It was nice to be really good at something,” Jablonski said.
He then tried out for the baseball team at his middle school and didn’t make it. Instead, Jablonski decided to get involved with the track and field team.
“I am so glad that I didn’t make it now,” Jablonski said.
In high school, Jablonski played three years of varsity football on both sides of the ball. His team won the league title and he was named to the All-League selection his senior year. However, when it came time to choose a sport for college, track and field won.
“I was always much better at track and college is more time consuming and the track schedule is more flexible,” Jablonski said.
Jablonski also participated in track in high school. He was team MVP his senior year and was named to the All-Intercounty League selection as both a junior and senior. He also set his school’s record in the discus.
Jablonski is studying electrical engineering and would like to get a job after graduation.
“Hopefully one that pays for me to go to grad school, but that’s not a requirement,” he said.
When he is not practicing or studying, Jablonski enjoys hanging out with friends. He also likes to snowboard in the winter and longboard in the summer.
