(Photo provided by Jake Kubiatowicz)
First of all, how did you first get involved
with track and field?
I got involved in track
and field in 4th grade when my father took me to North High School's throwing
area to teach me about the sport he did in high school.
What are all your personal records?
My PR for discus is
currently 191' 6.5" and my shot put PR is currently 61' 7.5".
Do you do, or have you done, any other sports?
I used to play hockey
and baseball but this year I just focused on football and track and field.
What is your favorite or most memorable
competition you've ever been in?
My favorite competition
was the state track meet last year. There were so many great throwers
competing and I had a very tough battle against Graham Johnson until the final
round when I threw a PR of 184' 10" and was named state champion of 2016.
It was very memorable and I wish all those great guys the best of luck in
their future throwing endeavors.
Other than your own teammates, who are some of
your favorite athletes to compete against?
Kieran Mckeag is a very
good shot putter who currently throws for the University of Minnesota in the
Big10. I have thrown against Kieran during the season and during the
summer at AAU and USATF meets and he really challenges me to try my best.
I have gotten the opportunity to talk to him and get to known him over
the years and he is a very nice guy and makes waiting for the medal ceremonies
to start entertaining with his witty jokes.
Who are some people that have been most
helpful to you in your athletic career?
I owe a lot of credit to
my father Joe Kubiatowicz for introducing the sport to me and coaching me all
the way up through 10th grade. I would also like to thank Becky Springman
and Josh Bloschko for helping coach me through my junior and senior year of
throwing. They both really helped develop me as a thrower and I have seen
big gains in my distances because of them.
What is a challenge you have had to face as an
athlete?
The biggest struggle as
a multi-sport athlete is time management. The government mandates school
which runs around 7 hours, then 4 hours are used up by throwing, weightlifting,
and any other training. Those are followed by the 6 hours of homework
that teachers would like you to spend on your AP and college classes.
Finding small windows to eat meals filled with a ton of protein and carbs
and then trying to get the recommended 10 hours of sleep that doctors recommend
for multi-sport athletes; all while trying to work a part time job. That
is roughly 28 hours (including drive time) that is all trying to be
accomplished on the standard 24 hour day.
What are some time-management strategies that
you have used to counter that challenge?
I just try to do a
little bit of everything, rotating through each activity until I get them all
done.
As a senior, how have your perspectives,
strategies, or attitudes changed since you first started running, what advice
would you give to younger track athletes?
The advice I would
give to newer athletes is that it's a long season. If you happen to have a bad
meet when you don't run as fast or throw as far as you'd like to, it's okay.
Track is a sport where everyone is incredibly nice so make a lot of friends and
try new events.
What are your main goals for this upcoming
track season?
My main goal this year
is to break the Minnesota state record for both the discus (201'7") and shot put (65'8").
If early-season results are any indication,
you and Erik Rousemiller from Lakeville South look like you will be in quite
a competition for the shot put record (and you've already faced each other a
couple times, I think). Are you glad you have someone to battle on your record
quest?
I'm very glad to be able to throw against
Erik! He's a great competitor and a nice guy. Throwing against him really
pushes me and gives me an extra burst of adrenaline to help me throw farther.
(Photo provided by Jake Kubiatowicz)
Do you have any college plans?
I will be attending the
University of Pennsylvania, which is a Division 1 school in the Ivy League.
What were some of the things that attracted
you to UPenn?
UPenn really attracted
me with the coach, the other throwers and especially the Ivy League education.
Do you have any rituals, routines, or
superstitions either on or off the track?
This year I've developed
a pre-throw ritual with my teammate Miguel Urbina. We play hacky-sack to
warm up our legs and to work on our body awareness to help gain even more
control when it is time to throw. It is a great time to warm up and bond
over some encouraging comments to each other.
When not doing anything track-related, what
might we find you doing?
If I'm not throwing or
lifting, you will find me with a deck of cards entertaining a small group of
people with some close-up magic tricks.
Tell me one bizarre fact about yourself.
I used to be able to
recite over 200 digits of Pi.