Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of two stories reviewing the highs and lows of the 2004 men’s and women’s outdoor track and field season.

Competitors in the field events represented the ISU track and field teams well at the national level this season.

Agata Kosuda (triple jump), Tony Douglas (long jump) and Jamal Salahuddin (discus) all reached the NCAA championships.

Susan Sherman (hammer and discus), Tony Stewart (discus and hammer throw), Daniel Kaczmarczyk (triple jump and long jump), Tyson Hilgenberg (javelin) and Matt Murdock (javelin), qualified for the regional meet but didn’t move on to nationals.

Salahuddin is already looking forward to next season.

“My goal for next year is to get back to nationals in the discus and win it all. I also want to score high in the shot [put],” Salahuddin said.

“Tony [Stewart] will do great in the hammer next year. We are going to finally put Iowa State on the map.”

Men’s head coach Steve Lynn said two athletes in particular in the field events had great seasons.

“Tony Douglas was a big surprise. He fought injuries throughout his career. He stayed healthy this year and it showed,” Lynn said.

“At the end of the year, he was a consistent 25-foot long jumper, one of the best in the country. Last year he didn’t place in the conference. This year he was second in the long jump and fifth in the triple jump.”

“I think that Tony Stewart could be the most improved on the team, because he did really well in the hammer and discus. This year he threw 186-4 in the hammer and 180-9 in the discus at the conference meet and placed in both. Last year he didn’t place in either at the Big 12.”

Jumps

The jumps teams had a productive year with Agata Kosuda in the triple jump and Tony Douglas in the long jump both making the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Douglas said the jumpers were pretty consistent and much more competitive than in the past. He also said making nationals this season will give him confidence going into next season.

“Now I feel that I can win the conference meet,” Douglas said. “I will definitely have more confidence going into next year, regionals and nationals.”

Douglas said he thinks that the women jumpers will also have a better year next year.

“All three [women] that are coming back — Jummy Alowonle, Priya Hoze and Agata Kosuda — all have a good chance of scoring at the conference meet,” Douglas said. “They were all close to getting into the finals [this season].”

Jumps coach Ron McEachran said several women have the potential to be national-caliber jumpers.

“Agata has the potential since she has already been to a national meet this year. I think that Priya and Jummy can also be there,” McEachran said.

“I am pleased with Priya since she went after her work this year. I can see she can jump far, but we have to be consistent in our running technique and approach. I am excited about Priya’s future.

“Jummy also had pretty good jumps this year. We had some problems in the long jump, and I am hoping she will be triple jumping some more.”

McEachran said there are some other jumpers who need to get stronger.

“The length of the season [weighed] on Leigh Wagner and Tamela Jadlin because they are not very strong,” McEachran said.

“With the length of the season, they both need to get stronger. Our season is the equivalent of three high school seasons.”

McEachran said the athletic ability of senior Davonna Carr will be missed. She was well respected and had a lot of friends on the team.

On the men’s side, McEachran said he was impressed with Douglas’ season.

“Tony was a pleasant surprise. I always knew that he could jump well and what he did at the conference meet — 25 feet in the long jump — was a pleasant surprise,” McEachran said. “He had a heck of a year by improving a lot. Tony qualified for the NCAA nationals and was second in the conference. This was his first time at nationals, and I think that it was a little overwhelming. Next year I think he will do much better.”

Daniel Kaczmarczyk qualified for the regional meet in both the triple and long jumps. McEachran said Kaczmarczyk had a good year but also had some problems.

“Daniel is very aggressive and that’s good,” McEachran said. “But what happens sometimes is that the aggression can work against you. He started to make too long of steps; you have to slow them down.”

McEachran said Gil Ridenour redshirted in the outdoor season. McEachran also said that freshman Ben Honig competed in the high jump but needs to get stronger.

Throws

The ISU throwers had a good year with one woman and six men making the regional meet. Jamal Salahuddin competed past the regionals and made the NCAA championships.

Throws coach Dan O’Mara said senior Susan Sherman’s multiple-point contributions to team scores are a big loss.

“At the Big 12 conference, she scored in the weight and shot almost every year. Last year she scored 14 points all by herself,” O’Mara said.

“She is currently the ISU record holder in the discus. She also threw well in the hammer and shot put this year. She scored in all three events in this year’s outdoors, last year’s and the year before. So, she is one of the most productive point-scorers we have had in a long time.”

O’Mara was also pleased with the performances on the men’s side.

“Tony Stewart was a big surprise. I didn’t think that he would throw a personal best of 180 feet in the discus, and it was a pleasant surprise that he did it at the Big 12,” O’Mara said.

“He is coming back next year, and it’s great to have him back.”

Stewart believes that the season went well because everyone kept improving.

“No one peaked at the beginning of the year. We all kept improving,” Stewart said.

“By the time regionals came, we were by our peak. We all peaked during the Big 12, and that’s the meet that you want to do it at. It was a fun year and I loved the group of guys that I was with.”

O’Mara said he was impressed with the accomplishments Hilgenberg made throughout the year.

“Tyson was the hardest worker that we have had in a long time,” O’Mara said.

“He was on the baseball team that no longer had a team, and he figured he wanted to do something. He worked really hard in the weight room and turned it around and became a leader on the team. He helped guide the younger kids like Tony and Kendall [Fogle]. His work ethic made a big contribution to show what needs to be done.”

Stewart also said Hilgenberg had a good year, but said he wasn’t surprised by his performance.

“Before Tyson Hilgenberg was injured, some people may have thought that he was a surprise,” Stewart said.

“The people that knew him were not surprised. Before he was injured, he threw well and qualified for regionals.”

Stewart also thinks the coaches were surprised with his own performance.

“I wasn’t surprised by my performance in the discus because you reap the benefits of what you sow,” Stewart said. “I was pleased. I think that the coaches were most surprised with Tyson, Neil Hines as a decathlete and myself.”