With two meets this weekend, physical and mental strength is imperative to winning.
Senior thrower Richard Fenton has set the school record in the hammer toss | Courtesy of UH Athletics
Redshirt senior thrower Richard Fenton will compete in the Texas State Bobcat Classic for the fourth time.
While he hasn’t competed in the Penn State Invitational, as the team usually runs in the Mt. Sack Relays instead, he is trying to prepare his team.
“It’s a little colder out there (in Pennsylvania), and it’s a big meet. A lot of people get kind of hyped up and there’s just a lot of energy in the air. You just have to really keep calm and race within your own race,” Fenton said. “Try to race someone else’s race, and you’re just going to fail. You have to pace yourself, know where you are and harness the energy instead of letting it take over.”
Fenton will be working on technique and helping everyone get to their regional marks. For him, the Texas State Invitational is a relaxed meet and will allow the team to tune-up on its weaknesses and have fun.
“If you’re out there having fun, big throws happen. It’s less pressure, so you can kind of figure out where your niche is and really work those things. That’s what I like about that meet,” Fenton said.
Of his numerous accomplishments at UH, Fenton is most proud of holding the school record in the hammer throw. It was something he worked on for four years and always had on his list of things to do before he graduated. Now, he’s working on completing his next goal.
“I want to make Top 8 at NC’s, which is an all-American honors. Top 8 has been my goal since day one, and I’ve been going up the list. I feel like this year I can finally do it,” Fenton said.
As a senior, Fenton’s teammates look up to him for support in every aspect of the race. He said it’s hard to be a role model when his team is comprised of individuals from across the world, who sometimes think they’re unstoppable, but he does his best to keep a humble environment.
“I tell them where they are and keep everyone in place because if you try to rogue off and do your own thing, you can’t work as a team. I try to make sure everybody is within the team and is still working together,” Fenton said.
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