Delaina and Drew Martin. No, they are not related, but you might think they are. Drew makes fun of Delaina for liking “pandas, the color purple, math, Bach and as many digits of Pi as she can remember (85).” Without missing a beat, Delaina says that Drew’s main hobby is farming. They argue about bands and poke fun at each other and their teammates. They certainly act like brother and sister.
For those not familiar with track and field, “throwers” compete in the shot put, discus, hammer and javelin. For those not familiar with Washington University sports, Delaina and Drew have been tearing up all of their competition. This pair has contributed greatly to the track team’s success.
“Throwing is a huge part of track and field, and there are a lot of points in it,” said Delaina.
Perhaps more notably, a family of throwers has formed around the leadership and example set by the Martins.
“Their contributions over the years are unbelievable,” said head coach Paul Thornton. “They have done a great job preparing themselves and have become great leaders as well.”
Coachless, the throwers critique one another.
“It brings the throwing group together, because we have to depend on each other,” said Drew. “Everyone else coming out and working hard everyday inspires me. Being able to coach them helps me a lot and keeps me focused. It probably causes me to work harder.”
Practice becomes an enjoyable time for throwers to mingle and to share tips.
“My favorite meet was [the] indoor conference [meet] this year,” said Drew. “We get along well with the Case [Western Reserve University] guys, and they are a lot of fun. We hung out and just chilled. I think everyone set a PR [personal record] in the shot that day.”
As they make fun of a few younger throwers, it is clear that enjoying themselves is a major part of their sport.
Each day begins with 30 to 40 minutes of lifting, followed by practice.
“Throwing is such a feel event,” said Thornton. “A coach can say something but if they don’t feel it, it doesn’t matter.”
Delaina goes through hammer drills, while the shot put requires live throwing in order to gain any real results.
Delaina, a junior majoring in math and Spanish, is a Peoria, Ill. native and wants to be an actuary. Her accomplishments in college began as the 2004 University Athletic Association Outdoor (UAA) Rookie of the Year and have continued to include the 2005 UAA Field Events Most Valuable Player.
In 2005, she won the UAA championship in the discus and continued her success this year with conference titles in both the hammer and shot put. Her throw of 13.02 meters in the shot put this past weekend provisionally qualified her for nationals and set a new conference record. She also holds the University record in the hammer throw. While she is successful at all of her events, she believes that the hammer is her best. Having provisionally qualified in that event as well, discus is her only event as yet undecided.
Drew is a senior from Herculaneum, Mo., majoring in biology who wants to attend veterinarian school after graduation and spend time with his fianc‚e. He was a two-time high school Missouri State Champion in the shot put and has also played all four years on the football team here at the University. He defended his conference titles in both shot put and discus this past weekend.
But the individual accomplishments of the Martins include much more than records and titles. They have helped shape a young group of throwers through their leadership and experience.
“The contributions they make are their leadership and personality, and those outweigh any amount of points they score,” said Thornton. “They’ve done a great job molding the younger throwers and continue to work and qualify for the NCAAs. Drew’s leadership is great and I wish we had him for another year.”
They have also developed a special friendship of their own, in spite of the occasional playful bickering that goes on at practice.
“I really appreciate him taking so much time with me and planning drills and practices to make me better even though he really doesn’t have anybody to do that for him,” Delaina said of Drew. “He’s like my brother. I don’t know what we are going to do next year.”
Still, the season is not over, and the remainder of the 2006 season offers much for these two stars.
“I feel like I have a pretty decent chance of making it in both throws, and I fully expect DM to make nationals with ease in hammer,” said Drew. “As for the other throwers, I hope they stay out there and practice and support us along the way.”
It is clear that the future holds much in store for these unsung athletes. Delaina will be the nation’s top-ranked returning thrower in her senior season.
“I try to be the best that I can be, because there’s no point in doing anything halfway,” said Delaina.
While they are not brother and sister, their banter and cracks on each other will make you laugh. Together, they have created a program for throwers and contributed to the team’s conference titles and sense of comraderie. They are unsung champions.