McBride brings energy, strength to track team

File Photo SWINGER: Keith McBride competes in the weight throw during the fall track season. McBride has emerged as a team leader in the weight throw, javelin and hammer throw events.

By Faithe Ways
Staff Writer

Practicing two to three hours per day on technique and lifting has helped Keith McBride improve his weight throw by 10 feet in the last year.

McBride, a junior in the School of Consumer and Family Sciences, is a redshirt sophomore on Purdue men's track team who is excelling in weight throw. He throws the hammer and the discus, and his throwing coach, John Zera, said the hammer is his better event.

McBride was introduced to weight throwing by a former track coach, David Kaiser, and he has been throwing for two and a half years. McBride had to redshirt his freshman year and was unhappy about the decision, but he made the best of the situation.

"I didn't like it at first because I wanted to compete, but it was a good experience for me overall," he said.

Although McBride missed a year of competing, he is making up for lost time with stellar performances in meets.

Lissa Olson, the head coach of the track teams, said she believes McBride's progress is due to hard work and dedication.

"We are very excited about his progress," she said. "He's done a great job of staying motivated and his hard work and dedication has paid off."

Some evidence of McBride's hard work and dedication came when he placed 10th in the USA Track and Field Indoor Championships in New York. Also, this past weekend McBride helped Purdue beat Clemson at the Clemson Invitational by winning the hammer throw event. His throw tied his personal best distance.

In the fall, McBride provisionally qualified for the indoor NCAA tournament in weight throw and he is working towards his goal of qualifying for the outdoor NCAA tournament.

"In the hammer throw he's about 10 feet away from the provisional qualifying mark," Zera said. "He has some work to do but he's been improving at an incredible rate."

McBride attributes much of his success and improvement to Zera. "I've learned a lot from him and he's one of the reasons I've improved so much."

In addition to working hard and improving his skills, McBride is described by Zera as being, "a team player that makes a lot of noise cheering for other people."

McBride feels close to his teammates and describes his team as having a family-like atmosphere. "We motivate each other all the time and we get along really well," he said.

McBride is a hard worker with the results to prove it. When describing McBride, Zera summed it up best.

"He works hard and the hard work he's putting in is paying off," he said.

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