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Bruins beat Rowan to remain undefeated in
drive for a national championship
Bruins send 10 to nationals
Bush breaks record for CST sharks
NHS softball team ends season optimistic
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Great expectations |
NHS senior Phil Zahn is the state's leader in the
javelin competition going into today's meet |
By B. Scott Anderson, Newberg
Graphic sports editor
E-mail Scott at banderson@eaglenewspapers.com
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Newberg High School senior Phil Zahn just wants to have fun. With
the year he’s had, it hasn’t been a problem.
Zahn, the state’s leading thrower in the javelin event, is coming
off winning his second consecutive Pac-9 Conference district title
last week. At the state meet last season, Zahn didn’t qualify for
the finals. The event made Zahn wonder.
“My goal this year was to have fun and learn as much as I could
from coach (Joe) Boutin,” he said.
But as much fun as he’s had this year, his goal is to win the state
meet that concludes today (Saturday) at the University of Oregon’s
Hayward Field. Zahn is attempting to follow in the footsteps of his
sister, Tiffany, who won the state championship in 2002 and now
throws the javelin for the University of Washington.
“It will be a disappointment if I don’t win,” he said. “I’ve had
the goal of winning the state meet since my sister did it when I was
a sophomore. She was so overjoyed with what she did.”
During his sophomore year, Zahn worked out with the javelin,
learning the finer points.
“I’ve started to realize that throwing isn’t all about mechanics,”
he said. “It’s about what you do at practice and
it’s a lot of mind games. You have to stay focused.”
But it wasn’t the mechanical aspect Zahn had to
learn as much as it was the mental aspect he had to overcome. He
said after a meet against Tualatin where he didn’t throw well during
his sophomore year, he was frustrated and practiced after the meet.
Zahn practiced a little too much that day and ended up injuring his
elbow.
“I was a young thrower,” he said. “I was still learning how to
learn how to handle a defeat.”
Zahn ended up having to get a brace to support his elbow. He threw
with it all last season and this season. He said the brace helps
immensely, but his elbow still isn’t at 100 percent. In fact, Zahn
tries not to wear out his elbow during practice and said during this
season, he’s thrown hard only twice in practice.
“My elbow never feels as bad at the meet as it does any other time
and that’s probably because of all of the adrenaline,” he said.
“This year has been a year where I’ve tried to work hard at practice
when I can, but I can’t because my arm isn’t in good enough shape.”
Zahn isn’t the only javelin thrower to have elbow problems. NHS
senior Chris Fanger led the state with a toss of 200-10 this season
but didn’t compete in the last few conference meets because of the
same elbow injury. Zahn said he knows what Fanger went through.
“Me and (Fanger) are great friends,” he said. “We’ve been friends
forever. I have never thrown with a person who is as dedicated as
him. He’s an incredible athlete and he loves the javelin. He comes
out and gives it his all. It’s just unfortunate that an elbow injury
had to come at this time.”
However, both will compete at Golden West Invitational, the Meet of
Champions and the Junior Nationals this summer.
“I still expect really big things out of him,” Zahn said.
As Zahn went through last season, he had a personal best throw of
185-feet, 4-inches. This season, his best is 196-5. At the state
meet last season, Zahn went in as the No. 8 seed, but finished 15th
with a toss of 165-2.
“When I was warming up, I felt really good,” he said. “I told the
coach that, too.”
Zahn had better expectations that day.
“I don’t think I choked, but I think the state meet is a lot of
pressure,” he said. “When you’ve got however many fans there
watching you and everything ... I just had a bad day and it didn’t
work out.”
No matter the outcome of the state meet today, Zahn has a future in
athletics – he just doesn’t know where. He’s weighing his options at
both the University of Oregon and Linfield College. Zahn was also a
standout linebacker for the NHS football team the past two seasons
and would like to continue to play on the gridiron in college.
“I love football,” he said. “I have a passion for it.”
If he went to the University of Oregon, where he would receive a
partial scholarship to throw the javelin, Zahn said he thinks he
could receive a walk-on invitation to try out for the football team.
Even if Zahn made the team, he wouldn’t likely play much initially
because of all of the scholarship players ahead of him.
At Linfield, a Division III school which doesn’t have athletic
scholarships, Zahn would likely become more of an impact player
quicker than he would if he were a Duck. At Linfield he could also
throw the javelin.
“My choice will come soon,” he said. “I’m strongly leaning toward
Linfield, though.” |
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From
May 29,
2004, Newberg Graphic
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