EUGENE, Ore.—Senior hammer thrower RJ Decker will get one last chance to represent the Jaspers on Wednesday in Eugene. One of 24 Division I hammer throwers to qualify for nationals, Decker is staring down a personal record of 66.91 set at the 2024 ECAC/IC4A Outdoor Track & Field Championship earlier last month. Decker and his counterparts will each get three throws, with the top nine performers qualifying for finals and an additional allowance of three more attempts before a winner is crowned at Hayward Field. Decker is one of three student-athletes from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to qualify for the NCAA Track & Field Championships, and the first Jasper to appear on this stage since discus thrower Ire Bozovicar did in 2018. The men's hammer competition is set to take place at 2 PM PT on Wednesday at Hayward Field.
GO JASPERS: Can you describe what this week has been like so far ahead of tomorrow's hammer throw competition?
RJ Decker: I've been to regionals for the past three years, but it's been a lot of mental preparation. I've been unable to unlock a lot of things I haven't been able to do in the past. My throwing is there and my training is good; now it's more of the mental aspect. With World Championships being here two years ago (at Hayward Field) and Olympic Trials at the end of the month, there's a lot of history at this track. It's been surreal, and yesterday at practice I worked on calming my nerves.
GJ: When did you first hear about Hayward Field and the tradition this facility holds?
RD: I didn't start throwing until the summer going into my senior year of high school. I didn't hear about Hayward until 2021 which is when I heard about Rudy Winkler (American record holder in hammer). I looked into the history of Hayward and the remodeling of it was when I really got a feel for it.
GJ: What are your favorite parts of the facility?
RD: Just the track. I've seen it in Instagram videos and different posts. Now that I'm here and seeing people throw has been cool. Everything is just as cool if not better than I expected.
GJ: Could you have ever envisioned getting this far in the sport?
RD: Absolutely not. Even when I first started in May of 2019, I thought I was just going to go to college with my friends and ride out those years. As soon as Paddy (McGrath) recruited me and Kevin Sullivan started coaching me, Paddy came to me saying, 'how would you like to come to Manhattan?' I told him I would love to go to college for sports. That was always a dream of mine.
GJ: Can you describe your experience as a student-athlete at Manhattan?
RD: I'm very thankful for all the people I met. I love that I came to Manhattan and the support I've gotten and the education I've received is unlike anything I've heard from my friends who went to other schools. What we have is what I need and it blended perfectly.
GJ: How supportive have the Manhattan alums been?
RD: Love Litzell (Class of 2018) is a big one. I talk to him a lot. I've spoken with Jake Freeman (Class of 2004). Paddy, being an alumni, I've talked to him. The alumni support is unlike anything I've seen. It's helped me knowing I have a nice pool of support.
GJ: What was it like growing up in Minisink Valley? And what do you attribute to helping you become the person you are today?
RD: I'm very fortunate that I grew up with kind and loving parents. They created the best atmosphere for me. With both of them being athletes, I was thrown into almost every sport. Because I have such an extensive sporting background, it helped me differentiate myself.
GJ: What will be the formula for having success tomorrow?
RD: I know how to get myself in the mindset of when I need to show up, so I'm visualizing what I need to do tomorrow. No matter what weight I'm throwing, in my head I'm in competition mode and that's what I treated practice like this week.
GJ: Who is RJ Decker away from throwing?
RD: I'm a great friend and great leader on the team.
GJ: Any hidden hobbies?
RD: Athletics is my life. Basketball I'm pretty good at. I love Spikeball. Mostly I'm outside doing stuff. I love to hunt, and being in the woods.
