April 17, 2007

A little over a year ago Freddie Hannie was at a crossroad in his McNeese State track career.

He had joined the Cowboys as a sprinter out of St. Louis High, running both the 200 and the 400 meters, but mainly the latter.

His problem was that he could never crack the 50 second barrier in the 400 and that is pretty well a dividing mark between those who can score at conference and those who can't.

So, it was a good move for the McNeese honor student when assistant coach Steve Manz suggested the hammer throw.

The hammer, an iron ball that is attached to a four foot long wire with a handle that participants sling into the distance, had been added as an event by the Southland Conference in 2005 and the Cowboys were adding it to their lineup in 2006.

The hammer and Hannie would make their debuts at the same time.

"It was different and not like any event that I had participated in," Hannie said. "It's a very unnatural movement but fun."

Manz said he figured Hannie would make a good hammer thrower but would need to work hard and even gain weight.

"He's a very hard worker and we wanted to keep him on the team. This event seemed like a good fit for him,"Manz added.

Through diet and steady work in the weight room (one and a half hour sessions three times a week), Hannie gained 50 pounds on his 5-7 frame (up from his 160 pounds) and begin to get the hammer technique down.

Since it was a new event at McNeese, just about each time he stepped into the hammer ring last year he set a school record.

This season there have been more record setting performances, the latest a toss of 165-8 which came last Saturday at the Northwestern State Relays, and he's also moved himself up in the rankings of conference leaders.

"Probably the hardest thing to learn," he said, "was to be aggressive. I'm just not an aggressive person. Coach Manz is big on aggression so I have practiced being more aggressive."

Hannie said he has tried to be more explosive while also becoming more vocal during his throw, letting out a yell when he unleashes.

After only one season of work with the hammer, Hannie went out and claimed eighth place at last year's conference meet.

This year he's looking for at least a medal round (third place or better).

"I would like to win it but realistically third place would be a good place for me. It's a good goal," he said.

Right now he sits eighth among the conference hammer throwers but he's only a few feet out of the top five and but seven feet behind the third place performer.

Reaching the 182 feet needed to qualify for the NCAA regionals may be a stretch for the Cowboy junior this year.

"That's a possibility but it would take a big jump," he said. "But it's definitely on my mind."

This Saturday he makes his final tuneup in preparation for the SLC meet May 4-6 at Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, TX. He and his teammates will perform in the LSU Alumni Gold Relays in Baton Rouge on Saturday.

TRACK TEAM RANKED 16TH: McNeese State's men's track and field team is ranked 16th in the nation this week by Trackwire. A first place and school record pole vault by Brad Gebauer at the UTEP Relays last Saturday moved the Cowboys up. They are projected for 18 points in this year's NCAA meet. McNeese is tied with Clemson and Stanford for the 16th spot. Florida State continues to rank No. 1 while Auburn is second, USC third, Arizona State fourth and LSU fifth.

COWBOYS RANKED NATIONALLY: Brad Gebauer moved to the top of the class with his 18-0 3/4 pole vault last week. He's now ranked No. 1 in the nation for college performers. Teammate Chris Hill is ranked No. 2 in the javelin throw with a 234-1 mark.

COWBOYS RANKED IN SLC: McNeese State has five performers leading their events in this week's track and field ranking for the Southland Conference. Brad Gebauer is first in the pole vault (18-0 3/4) as is Chris Hill in the javelin (234-1), Marcus Brown in the long jump (24-9 1/4), John Jamail in the shot put (55-8 1/4) and Sonia Clark in the 10,000 meters (38:59.10).

Jon Fagan is second in the decathlon with 7,136 points and Stephanie Gilbert is ranked third in the women's hammer with a throw of 171-7.