Field athletes face scholarship obstacles

‘‘College coaches recruit field athletes, but it’s real hard to give them scholarships,” Largo High coach Darryl Hamilton said. ‘‘You have to throw [or jump] really far to get a full scholarship.”

Every year, the county has a large number of track stars getting scholarships to run in college. But the difficulties facing field athletes are many.

First, colleges have intense competition facing off against other programs. Just as high school football or basketball players may not be able to perform well on the college level, the same goes for track and field.

The limited budgets of college track programs also are a factor. Some programs are not fully funded and those that are usually have no more than just over a dozen scholarships to offer.

Morgan State University track and field coach Neville Hodge explained some of what makes the process so difficult for field athletes hoping to earn a scholarship.

‘‘It’s just a struggle when it comes to a field athlete,” Hodge said. ‘‘For example, if you’re a long jumper and you’re jumping 18 [feet], then maybe only the schools who have seen you perform will know if you can develop. Your chances go up much higher if you, say, jump 19 feet. When you are finding kids that are kind of average, it’s difficult to invest money in those types. It may take the kid four years to develop down the road and you may give a full scholarship just to get a point in the conference [championships] or have them barely make it to the NCAA’s.”

Next, it does not hurt for an athlete to be able to do more than one event. For instance, Hodge said NCAA coaches may be more likely to recruit a thrower that can compete in the discus, shot put and hammer throw rather than just one event.

Jumpers may have an easier time accomplishing this because many jumpers are also sprinters. Long and triple jumpers tend to compete in both events.

If athletes limit themselves to just one field event, they must be exceptional in that event to be awarded a scholarship.

‘‘You have to be good,” said Aaron Johnson, an Oxon Hill High grad and freshman at Bowie State who only competes in the long jump. ‘‘It would have been harder for me if, say, I jumped [6 feet, 4 inches] because there are a lot of people that jump 6-foot-4.”

Johnson holds the state’s second-best high school jump of all time (6-10) and had little problem getting colleges to notice.

Sometimes, field athletes generate attention by chance, as Potomac senior Rachelle Wright understands.

‘‘Actually, [recruiting] started for me my ninth grade year,” said Wright, who has been offered scholarships by Bowie State, Norfolk State, UMBC and Fairleigh Dickinson. ‘‘The coaches thought I was a senior because I was throwing better than most of the seniors.”

Something no aspiring college field athlete can get around is the importance of time and effort.

For instance, Largo senior Ashleigh Lee stands a good chance of finishing highly in the state 3A shot put and discus competitions. Lee garnered Star⁄Gazette all-county first-team honors for her efforts in the throws last outdoor season.

But Lee was also a standout on the Lions’ basketball team and devoted her fall and winter schedules to basketball. While she just began throwing last season, Lee hopes to earn a scholarship with a track and field program.

‘‘If she was a full-time thrower, she would surpass where she’s at right now,” Hamilton said of Lee. ‘‘We’re trying to find her scholarships. One school offered her $1,500, but that’s not enough.”

Said Wright, ‘‘I think [throwing] is something you have to constantly work at. I’ve been doing it since I was 6 or 7 years old. If that’s what you want to do, you have to focus. Don’t play around with it.”

E-mail Terron Hampton at thampton@gazette.net.