It was a good result, but Iron Wood Track Club member David Pless is not satisfied with his performance.
Saturday, during the final day of the Oregon Relays, Pless won the shot put by more than three and a half feet with a distance of 61 feet, 10.5 inches. Despite this achievement, Pless knows he can do better.
“I missed a really big throw that probably would have been a PR,” said Pless. “So, I’m somewhat ambivalent about my performance. I didn’t do as well as I would have liked.”
Second place went to Concordia sophomore Josh Koch, who threw a personal best 58-4, surpassing his old personal record, which he accomplished earlier this season, by about two and a half feet.
Oregon senior Ryan Hunter-Simms competed unattached and finished in third place, despite fouling four times, with a distance of 53-11.75.
Pless is training for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics by working out for 6-7 hours a day in order to meet the qualifying mark, which is at 67-3.25. In addition to his intense workouts, Pless works for a technology company in Portland doing sales.
During the event, Pless fouled on his last two throws, one that he thinks would have surpassed his personal record of 65-1, by stepping outside of the board. Each time, he was visibly frustrated, consulting with his coach, Jared Rome, after each throw. He said he’s been working to stay calm after fouling.
“One of the things that has really plagued me is being able to take a step back and remember that it’s fun out here,” he said. “It’s not supposed to be like the most intense thing in the world.”
Another way that Pless keeps calm is by chewing Big League Chew gum that he carries around in a giant circular container.
“Sometimes it helps relieve nerves, but also, the sugar and the gum, this is kind of gross, but if you spit on your hands you get a better grip on the discus or the shot,” said Pless.
In addition to Hunter-Simms, three other Oregon throwers competed in the shot put, finishing fourth, fifth and sixth out of eleven finalists. Sophomore Austin White threw 53-3. Junior T.J. Brassil threw a distance of 52, which barely surpassed his old personal record of 51-11.25. Redshirt freshman Drake Brennan threw for a distance of 51-4.5.
