Going into his fifth throw in the men’s discus competition, Concordia senior Justin Ramirez was just a member of the field.
Oregon junior Ryan Hunter-Simms had the lead, 170 feet, 2 inches, farther than Ramirez had ever thrown. Ramirez had the second farthest throw at 168-2, but he had fouled in half of his attempts. Ramirez’s personal record going into the Oregon Relays was 161-9.
Then Ramirez, who only took up the discus halfway through last year’s outdoor season, hit a new personal record of 174-5.
Ramirez originally went to Concordia to play basketball. At 6-foot-6, he averaged 2.6 points and 2 rebounds per game. But one day he went out for the track team and immediately found a home.
After just six weeks of throwing, Ramirez qualified to go to the NAIA national meet. After that, he decided to quit basketball and throw full-time.
“I’m really fortunate that I have some natural talent with the event,” Ramirez said. He also competes in the hammer throw and has a personal record of 183 feet. His distances for both events are enough to be in the top four in the NAIA.
Ramirez also has one of the best coaches in discus to help him every day. Jarred Rome is a two-time Olympian and two-time U.S. national champion. He’s been with Concordia for two years. “He helps us so much. Without he and our other coach, our hammer coach Todd Taylor, I wouldn’t be able to do it.”
— by Nik Streng
