Inside of the track that earned the fans’ adoration, Dan
Ames unassumingly played in the field with his three favorite toys.
When he heaved them into the air as though he never wanted to see
them again, the relatively few onlookers never accused him of
temper tantrums.
They only wished that they could throw their toys as far as Ames
did. In an individual sport, where athletes strive to make their
mark in one event, Ames was the consummate team leader who became a
champion in three. His becoming the first athlete to capture the
Pac-10 title in the hammer, shot put and discus illustrates why he
is one of the premier athletes on campus. Winning all three events
again the following weekend at the NCAA West Regionals reiterates
why he is the Daily Bruin Male Athlete of the Year. “I
anticipate it will never happen again,” coach Art Venegas
said of Ames’ trifecta at the Pac-10’s and regionals.
The physical challenges of just one of the events can wear an
athlete down during the course of a season. The strenuous toll of
succeeding in all three would seemingly leave a body in shambles by
season’s end. Yet Ames’ devoted work ethic, grueling
training regimen, and persistence in bettering himself and his team
made him the team’s anchor from start to finish.
“He’s never late and always does his weight
program,” Venegas said. “I don’t think he’s
ever missed a work out. He’s never hurt and never
sick.” From the outset it was obvious this would be a special
year for Ames. In March he placed third at the National Indoors
with a school record 71-2 1/2 effort in the weight throw, earning
him his second All-American honors at the meet and ninth in his
career. “Whatever he focused on he would be great in,”
Venegas said. “Even the javelin if he tried.”
Ames’ indoor success carried through to the outdoor season as
he emerged as a top-ranked thrower in the hammer, discus and shot
put. In April, he came within 18 inches of defeating Olympic
medalist John Godina in the shot put. For Ames, even though a
personal best of 68 feet in the same event was ruled a foul at the
NCAA Regionals, he still managed to walk away with the title over
teammate Jeremy Silverman. “When he’s one of the best
in the nation in three different events, it’s a real pleasure
to go out there and watch him compete,” sophomore thrower
Jake Knight said. By the end of the season, it was becoming easy
for the Bruins to take Ames’ stellar performances for
granted. It unfortunately took the NCAA Championships, where he
only mustered just three points, to put back into perspective his
amazing accomplishments throughout the season. This past weekend
served as a reminder that his body did have its limits after all.
He just chose not to let them get in the way in the final meet of
his career. “I don’t have any regrets doing three
events,” Ames said. “We made the decision and went for
it, and now I’m done.” It’s easy to assume that
Ames would have scored more points if he had limited himself to one
or two events like the athletes who placed above him. Although that
may have been an option in past years, it was no longer in the
senior’s spirit to cave in. “I was always really
demanding, and he was always hesitant to accept those
demands,” Venegas said. “Now I don’t demand as
much, and he reaches out more for the things we can do
together.” Together, Ames and Venegas’ leadership have
strengthened the Bruins’ reputation as one of the strongest
throwing teams in the nation. Even though Ames’ reserved
demeanor does not personify the traditional leader who gives pep
talks on the sidelines, his teammates thrived off his “˜lead
by example’ approach. “He’s not the most vocal
guy, but he doesn’t need to be when he performs every day and
shows us how to be great,” Knight said. “Somebody of
his caliber doesn’t come around all that often.” As the
Bruins look to the future, they will face the daunting task of
replacing the thrower who led them to their first Pac-10 title
since 1998. But, for Ames, he can finally take a break from the
daily grind and reflect back on an illustrious career. “I
only have good thoughts of this season,” he said. “It
was the best season I ever had and the best team I’ve been a
part of.”
With reports from Jessica Bach, Bruin sports
reporter.