Warrior throwers are terrific tandem

WASILLA — There are only three things that matter when you throw, Wasilla track and field coach Nathan Ford says.

“Height of release, trajectory and speed.”

So as John Knowles steps into the throwing circle to heave the shot put or hurl the discus, when it comes to height of release, the 6-foot-7 junior simply can’t be beat.

Using his long arms and massive frame, Knowles has become arguably Alaska’s top thrower this year, and has combined with senior Chris Lafe to give Wasilla the state’s best throwing tandem.

Knowles and Lafe enter today’s Northern Lights Conference Championships track and field meet as the region’s best in the shot put and discus. Knowles is also currently first in the state in shot put and second in discus. Lafe is second in the state with the shot and fifth with the discus.

Although they sport different styles and very different body types, Lafe — who will play football at Valley City State University in the fall — stands at 6-0, both have used tremendous improvement during the past year to vault themselves into Alaska’s prep throwing elite.

“John is just in control of his body more,” Ford said. “He’s just getting more control out of that big body, where Chris has put a lot of time in the weight room and has gotten very explosive.”

Last season, Knowles — a state qualifier in the shot and discus — posted solid marks. He finished third in the shot put during the NLC Championships with a distance of 46 feet and 2 1/4 inches. He added three inches to that mark to finish fifth in the state meet.

In discus, Knowles was fourth in the NLC at 134-4, and slipped to 13th in state with a toss of 124-3.

This season, Knowles has the top mark in the shot put, a school-record 50-6 1/2. Until last weekend, he was also first in the discus. Dimond junior Mitchell Swensen used a throw of 153-10 last Saturday to edge Knowles’ mark of 152-11 he hit at the Palmer Relays earlier in the year.

Overall, Knowles has added four feet to his distance in shot put and 18 feet to his distance in the discus.

“In the distance, I’m definitely surprised,” Knowles said. “I really struggled at state and some of the other meets (last year).”

Knowles said listening to his coaches and watching throwers on the Internet site YouTube has led to the significant improvement.

“I knew if we ever got him to his potential, he could throw that,” Ford said.

Knowles, also a standout a the Wasilla boys basketball squad that won an NLC title this winter, has the body type that’s seen regularly on the hardwood, but hardly in the concrete throwing circle — especially in Alaska.

To compare, the 2008 Alaska state champion in both the shot put and discus — former Bartlett standout and Arizona State University freshman Jordan Clark — stands at 6-4.

The tallest USA Track and Field Thrower of the Year since 2005 is the 6-2 Breaux Greer, who won the award in 2006.

West-Liberty Salem College senior Nate Bratka, the defending Division III national champion in the discus, is 6-6.

It may be rare that an athlete of Knowles’ stature stands out in the track and field throws, but the WHS junior sees it as an advantage.

“Everyone who throws has told me being taller helps,” Knowles said. “I just know that being bigger, having longer arms, there’s more force. Being taller just starts you out higher than everyone else.”

While Knowles uses his size, strength and technique to post top marks, Ford said, Lafe simple has brute strength.

Lafe is a student in Ford’s weight lifting class and WHS. Ford said Lafe’s progress in the weight room is showing in the field.

“He has just made tremendous gains in power as well as explosiveness,” Ford said. “This is one area that’s all about power and explosiveness.”

While Knowles’ gains are significant, Lafe’s improvement could be called remarkable. As a junior, he was able to hit 44 feet in the first meet of the season, but fell to just more than 40 during the Mat-Su Borough Championships late in the year. In the discus, he hit a season-high 114-6 at the Mat-Su meet, but finished 12th with a toss of 109-3 in the NLC meet.

This year, Lafe has a season-best of 49-1 in the shot and 135-1 in the discus. That’s a gain of five feet in the shot put and 21 in the discus.

“It’s just hard work, staying at it,” Lafe said.

Ford said Lafe’s numbers early this season were eye-opening.

“He went from 44 at his best last year to 46 in the very first meet we had,” Ford said of Lafe’s mark in the Big C Relays in Anchorage on April 3. “That’s a two-foot jump in the very first meet. I was surprised. I thought he would get 44 and then maybe 46, 48 by the end of the year.”

Lafe said his goals are 50 feet in the shot put and 140 in the discus. Knowles is aiming for 53 in the shot and 160 in the discus.

Overall, both Wasilla throwers say having the competition between each other has also translated to improvement.

“It’s good having (Chris) around,” Knowles said. “We’ve been neck and neck in shot. This is the first year I started to pull away from him. He’s incredibly strong, that’s what helps him out.”

Knowles said the first time he hit 50 feet was thanks in part to Lafe’s career best.

“He threw a 49,” Knowles said, noting the throw was three feet farther than Lafe’s previous best. “I basically told him I was going to beat him and I threw 50. It was kind of amazing. I didn’t really expect it.”

Knowles, who said his goal is to sweep the throwing events in the shot and the discus and to have Lafe place right up there with him, has one more season of track and field at Wasilla High. And he has lofty goals to achieve before he is done.

“I’d like to throw 200 (in the discus) if I get stronger and 60 my senior year for shot,” Knowles said.

Valley athletes work to defend region titles

MAT-SU — A handful of Mat-Su athletes will work to defend their region titles during the Northern Lights Conference Championships track and field meet at Skyview High School in Soldotna today and Saturday.

Wasilla senior Rachel Hoffman is the defending champion in both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles. Hoffman and Wasilla junior Keri Clump also helped WHS win the 1,600-meter relay at the conference meet last season.

Hoffman is currently ranked second in the 300 hurdles and first in the 100 hurdles in the NLC.

Colony junior Matt Jaronik is looking for his second straight NLC title in the 400. The defending state champion in the 400 is ranked first in the NLC in the 200 and 400, and second in the 100 and the long jump.

Colony’s Sierra Hodgson will try to defend her title in the long jump. She is second to teammate Laura Maresh in that event.

Colony freshman Taylor Stewart (triple jump) and Palmer junior John Scoresby (100) are also first in the NLC in events.

Houston and Wasilla have the top 800-meter relay teams in the conference for the boys and girls respectively.