Shooting for Olympics

By JON WEBB
Glasgow Daily Times

June 27, 2009 12:48 pm

— Pat Stewart came within two feet, or, better yet, 0.36 meters.
At last Saturday’s Nike Outdoor Nationals, the Barren County High School graduate led through every round of the Emerging Elite boys shot put competition in Greensboro, N.C.
“Until the last throw,” Stewart said.
That last throw came courtesy of Daryle Morgan of Sanford, N.C., who heaved his 16-pound shot 56 feet, relegating Stewart’s put of 54.10 feet to second place.
Although not satisfied with his finish (“second place is OK ... I guess”), Stewart said the experience will help him as he transplants his shot put skills into the NCAA Division I ranks.
“It looks good on a ... biography that you’ve taken part in a national competition,” Stewart said.
He estimated about 400 athletes took part in the nationals, which featured “almost every track and field event you can imagine.” He said the event is recognized as a showcase for future NCAA Division 1 talent.
According to Stewart, this year’s Nationals featured an exceptional crop of athletes, especially in his category.
“This is the only time in history (the nationals) had people tossing (the shot) over 70 feet, so I went for the Emerging Elite division, which is a kind of JV, I guess.”
JV or no, Stewart still attracted attention during his tenure at BCHS.
He said 11 D1 schools recruited him during his high school career, but he eventually narrowed down his options to two schools: the University of Louisvlle and Marquette University.
“It was kind of a tough choice,” Stewart said.
He eventually chose Marquette over more-local Louisville, due mostly to the instant camaraderie he felt upon visiting the school.
“I felt like I was already a part of the Marquette team on my recruiting trip,” Stewart said. “At Louisville, I didn’t feel that as much.”
Stewart will join an outdoor track and field team that sent three of its members to the Mideast Regionals last year.
The current freshman record for the Marquette men’s shot put distance is a little more than 53 feet, a mark Stewart believes he can top (and did top at the Nike nationals) and the overall record is 60.8 feet.
Breaking Marquette records isn’t where Stewart’s ambition ends, though.
He has his sights set on the Olympics.
In order for Stewart to qualify for the Olympics in 2016, he must toss at least 65 feet and just like the Marquette freshman record, Stewart believes he can equal, and maybe even top, that mark.
For now Stewart is simply making the trip to Marquette’s campus in Milwaukee to settle in and get the feel of his new surroundings and adjust to the 16-pound shot used in collegiate and national competitions as opposed to the 12-pounder used in high school.
By 2016, Stewart’s surroundings could change again to either London in the 2012 Olympics or Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo or Rio de Janiero in 2016.
Becoming an Olympian is a feat Stewart actively pursues today - one that would surely render 0.36 meters a distant memory.
“That’s my goal,” Stewart said. “2012 or 2016.”