Brief
Overview: I
am
currently
being
supported
through
my
modest
income
working
part-time
as a
teller
at a
local
bank
and
also
with
the
help
of
my
loving
mother
Sherry,
who
gives
me
much
emotional
support
and
what
financial
support
she
can.
I
have
a
brother,
Jeremy,
who
lives
with
an
uncle
and
a
granny
who
can’t
brag
enough
about
her
granddaughter
to
the
locals
in
her
small
town.
I
cannot
forget
the
support
I've
received
from
my
boyfriend.
We've
been
through
a
lot
together
and
it's
hard
for
someone
to
take
a
back
seat
to a
nine-pound
ball,
but
he
understands
my
situations
and
has
been
a
great
support
through
this
rough
transition
from
college
to
professional.
(I
use
the
term
professional
loosely
because
the
name
pro
athlete
might
imply
I
make
money
from
this.)
I
would
also
just
like
to
throw
in
the
help
I've
received
from
Gill
and
Jump
Start
Athletics
through
their
donation
of
some
implements
and
also
Athletes.com
who
have
donated
supplies
to
me
in
the
past.
I
am
also
thankful
to
my
alma
mater,
Colorado
State
University,
for
allowing
me
to
continue
to
use
their
training
facilities
and
training
tools.
What
influenced
you
to
start
throwing?
It's
kind of a funny
story. When I
was in junior
high, my mother
moved from
Downtown, urban
Denver to rural
Julesburg
Colorado.
Needless to
say, there
wasn't much to
do but sports.
I did football,
basketball,
track, and
softball in the
summer. They
put me in the
throwing events,
not because I
showed some sort
of natural
abilities, but
because, let's
face it, they
put all fat kids
in the throwing
events. Maybe
if they would
have put me on
the distance
team, I'd be
skinny today?
Describe the
path you have
taken as an
athlete in your
career to date?
Sports
originally were
something just
to pass the time
and to have fun
at. In junior
high, I wasn't
anything
special. Just a
chubby kid
throwing 25ft in
the shot and
60ft in the
discus.
Starting in
high school, I
got a little
better and began
to understand
the event. I
remember never
throwing more
than 75ft in the
discus and then
walking up to my
coach before the
competition and
telling him that
I think that I
can throw the
discus far. He
told me to do
it. I PR'ed by
over twenty feet
at that meet and
went on to PR
again by the end
of the season,
placing 5th in
the state. My
sophomore year,
I didn't even
realize that I
led the state in
the shot put in
all
classifications
until I was
going home from
the meet. I
actually got
more college
offers for
volleyball than
track. Bedard
was just the
first track
coach to offer.
(I didn't
really know of
CSU, I wanted
either CU or NU,
living right
there on the
border.)
College was
hard the first
two years being
in the shadow of
an older girl
who happened to
be the coach’s
favorite. We
were competing
against each
other at
practice and
during meets.
We had a love
hate
relationship,
but she taught
me hard work and
that doing the
school’s
workouts and
practices were
the minimum you
needed to do to
be a great
athlete.
Everyone was a
state champion,
everyone works
hard; you need
to work harder
if you want to
beat them. By
my junior year,
I really began
stepping into
the thrower I
would become. I
lost weight, got
stronger, in
better shape, I
studied video of
the best and of
myself, I
changed
everything I
could to make
myself better.
I stopped
thinking of
being good
enough, I wanted
perfection. I
actually over
trained my
junior year and
got a stress
fracture that
plagued the rest
of my collegiate
career (fixed
now!). My
senior year, I
can't even tell
you how many
hours of film I
watched of
myself and of
other elite
throwers, trying
to see what I
was missing to
take me to the
next level. I
think by the end
of the season, I
was
scratching at
it. But the
more I learn,
the less I know
I knew.
What is your
current coaching
situation?
What coaching
situation?
(joke). I
currently am
working on my
own. I'm a big
"feel" athlete,
meaning I judge
if it's good
technique by the
way it feels. I
also video my
practices and
use Dartfish. I
study my throws,
comparing them
to what I've
learned about
the hammer,
especially over
the past eight
months, and I
continue to
watch film of
throwers such as
my “husband”
Murofushi and
Gilreath. My
practice
situation is
what is at
7:30am and I can
sit around and
complain and
think about what
I could do if I
had a coach or I
can work my ass
off and do
everything I can
do with what I
have to become
the best thrower
in the world.
What do you
consider are the
most important
elements of your
throw?
I still don't think I've perfected my technique and
I've already
changed so much.
I think you're
asking what
factors in the
throw are most
important in
making it a good
throw. I think
the most
important
elements are
moving in the
direction of the
throw and the
orbit. If I
feel "on"
meaning moving
in the direction
of the throw
without moving
side to side, I
know it's going
to be a big.
Contributing to
this is the
orbit. It is
essential that
my highpoint and
low points are
aligned
correctly
through the
throw.
What are your
strengths in the
throw, what are
your weaknesses?
I think my
strength in the
hammer is my
speed, which I
still haven't
been able to
fully put it in
a throw like I
want, but I'm a
very dynamic
thrower. I'm
not as strong as
some, but I know
how to use what
I have and get
the implements
moving. I think
my ability to
feel the throw
is also
strength, some
athletes need a
coach to point
out if they fell
in a throw, I
can feel it when
I'm first
off-balance. My
weakness is also
my ability to
feel a throw. I
spend too much
time chasing the
perfect feeling
throw instead of
finishing hard
and going after
every throw.
Another
weakness is my
understanding of
the hammer
technique. I'm
serious when I
say the more I
learn about the
hammer from
talking to elite
athletes and
coaches or going
to these elite
athlete summits,
the less I
know. As
Stewart Togher
put it so gently
to me once--
"you don't know
shit about the
hammer."
How would you
describe your
training
regiment? Give
us a sample.
My current
training
schedule is a
little crazy
right now, but
it will be
getting better
soon enough.
And don't think
that this is
going to stop me
from my goals
this year. It's
only made me
tougher mentally
and more
determined to be
successful. I
wake up four
days a week at
5am and read and
eat a light
breakfast. I
then go lift at
6 and usually am
in there
anywhere from an
hour to an hour
and a half.
Then I go to
the indoor
facility. I
warm up and wait
around for about
half an hour
because I have
to split
facility time
with adult
fitness. I
practice five
days a week
around 7.30 or
8AM. I throw the
weight three
days a week and
do hammer drills
two to three
days a week.
Practice
usually goes for
about an hour
and a half.
Throwing
completely
alone, you get a
lot numbers in a
short amount of
time. I like
it though
because I can
work on whatever
I want and don't
have anyone to
laugh or judge.
This year is a
big experiment
as far as what
kind of numbers,
the weight of
the implements,
the intensity,
my running and
conditioning.
When I do well
this year, I'll
sell my secret
to success to
anyone who is
interested!
Not
counting my 11
individual
Mountain West
Conference
Championship
titles and 5
conference
records
(shot/weight
indoor,
shot/hammer/discus
outdoor) and one
National record.
2004- NCAA
Indoor
Championship 8th
place weight
2004-
Standardford
Invitational
champion hammer
2004- Texas
Relay Champion
hammer
2004- NCAA
Outdoor
Championship 6th
place hammer
2004- USA
Olympic Trials
9th place (first
US
championships)
hammer
2004- NACAC
U23
Championships
Champion hammer
2005- Tyson
Invite Runner-up
weight
2005- NCAA
indoor
championship
Runner up
(American-collegiate
record) weight
2005- Penn
Relays Champion
hammer
2005- NCAA
Outdoor
Championships
1st place (first
NCAA female
champion CSU
history) hammer
2005- USA
Championships
4th place hammer
(This is just
the start!)
What advice
would you give
to a talented
athlete taking
on the Hammer /
Weight throw?
Some advice that
I would give to
a talented
athlete is not
to just let your
talent carry
you. There are
so many athletes
who do just
enough to get by
and still can do
well. Push
yourself
everyday. Don't
just practice,
practice with
purpose. "Good
enough" is never
in a champion’s
vocabulary.
Technique is
the most
important aspect
in the hammer
and weight,
above everything
perfect your
technique. Too
many strong
athletes get by
and throw far
with crappy
technique, but
they could throw
so much further
if they took a
step back and
got better
technique. There
are so many
tools available
to us such as
Dartfish and
videos,
especially from
Macthrowvideo,
to use at your
disposal. I
didn't see the
gains I did
until after I
started watching
video and using
practice, not
just to get
numbers, but
using every
throw to get
closer to the
elusive perfect
throw.
And lastly,
don't put a
limit on your
ability. When
you put a
distance as the
best possible
mark you can
have, you will
stop
progressing.
Never settle or
become
complacent.
Keep reaching
for the next
goal no matter
how large it may
be. Good luck!
We thank Loree
Smith for her
story and candid
insight and we
look forward to
the upcoming
season and wish
her great
success!
2007
Indoor
Photo
2005 NCAA Hammer Throw Record 70.03 Meters
(Pictured below is Loree Smith - 2005 NCAA Collegiate record hammer throw)
