Kamaiya Warren couldn’t believe it at first.
Her throw felt the same as any other this season, but the result
was much different.
The redshirt sophomore smashed her previous personal record in
the discus competition on Sunday afternoon at the Pac-10
Championships, taking first place with a mark of 183 feet, 3
inches. That throw was the sixth furthest in the nation so far this
year, and was nearly nine feet further than her previous lifetime
best.
Warren, unable to say much when asked to comment on the
performance while atop the winner’s podium, had collected
herself after the meet.
“I just knew it was going to be a good day,” Warren
said. “I was thinking, “˜I’m feeling something,
I’m feeling something!’ I especially wanted to make up
for Saturday (in the shot put) because I didn’t do so
well.”
Competing in the shot put finals during Saturday’s meet,
Warren finished what she considers an unsatisfactory fourth place
with a throw of 52 feet, 11 inches, almost two feet shy of her
lifetime best.
But the victory in the discus was more than enough to put a
smile back on Warren’s face.
“I’m really excited and happy,” Warren said.
“I’ve wanted to throw since (Saturday) after the shot
put. I was at dinner with my parents and I kept telling them
“˜I wanna throw! I wanna throw!’ I’ve been ready
for this for a while.”
The throw couldn’t have come at a better time for UCLA,
who was in position to lose points as national contender Lara Saye
struggled, finishing fifth.
“Lara was having a bad day, and that is what team is all
about,” UCLA throws coach Art Venegas said. “If your
teammates are struggling, you have to pick up the slack. Kamaiya
was inspired by that.”
With just the NCAA West Regional and NCAA Championship meets
left for the Bruins, Venegas refuses to give Warren’s discus
any disproportionate focus over her shot put in practice.
“All the superstars do both (shot put and discus) equally
well,” Venegas said. “They are equally motivated in
each. If you get really hot, you can take both of them. Kamaiya is
a ways away from that. Maybe next year she can start winning titles
in both.”
Perhaps a championship is too much to expect from Warren, but
this throw certainly places her in the thick of the competition in
the discus. Besides Saye, Warren also bested Arizona’s Rachel
Varner, who boasts the best throw in the nation so far this
year.
Warren heads into next weekend’s West Regionals seeing no
reason why she shouldn’t be able to repeat her performance
from the Pac-10 meet.
“Now that I’ve hit that mark, I know all I have to
do is push it and I’ll have it,” she said. “It
didn’t seem like it was any more than I’m used to or
anything different. I don’t see any reason why I will throw
any less in the future.”