With a total of six competitors in nine events, the ISU throwers and jumpers will have many opportunities at the NCAA Midwest Regionals in College Station, Texas, this weekend.

Tony Douglas in the long jump and Daniel Kaczmarczyk in the triple jump and long jump will represent Iowa State in the jumps. Iowa State will also have four competitors performing in the throwing events — Tyson Hilgenberg and Matt Murdock in the javelin, Jamal Salahuddin in the shot put and discus and Tony Stewart in the discus and hammer throw.

Both jumps coach Ron McEachran and throws coach Dan O’Mara said they are expecting big things from the close competitors.

“All four of the throwers have really good team unity,” O’Mara said. “They act just like brothers by always supporting each other.”

O’Mara has high expectations for all of the throwers.

“I would love to see Jamal have a season best in both events. Tony needs to throw a school record in the hammer,” O’Mara said. “Matt needs to be in the top five in the javelin to make nationals, and I just hope to see Tyson compete well.”

O’Mara said even though Salahuddin has a good chance of making nationals in both events, he is throwing better in and has a better shot in the discus.

“[Salahuddin] is ranked 13th in the country in the discus. He is the six seed at this Midwest regional, but most of the best in the discus are from the Midwest,” O’Mara said.

“Jamal has spent more time in the outdoor season with the discus. He needs a personal record to move on in the shot put.”

Hilgenberg hurt his left leg in practice earlier in the season. He had a magnetic resonance image done earlier this week on his left Achilles tendon and found out that he has bursitis Achilles tendonitis. Hilgenberg said that even though his injury makes it hard to run and plant on his left foot, he is going to give it his all.

“I really think if [my left foot] feels better, I have a good shot at nationals,” Hilgenberg said. “I have to thank the trainers, Mike Kavalier and Joe Hanfelt, who have helped me a lot in rehab.”

O’Mara said if Hilgenberg was healthy, he would have a good shot of making nationals in the javelin.

“I hope to see him compete without much pain,” O’Mara said. “He has the best work ethic in the weight room, trains hard and has improved his technique. He has been one of the hardest workers that I have had.”

O’Mara said that pushing each other in practice has helped Hilgenberg and Murdock in the javelin.

O’Mara also said Murdock needs to throw his season best to make nationals.

Murdock said personal satisfaction drives him to make nationals.

“I am going to do it. This has been a hard season for me, but things have been starting to come together,” Murdock said.

“I made nationals last year, but that was just a learning experience. That was something to build on and to move forward at this meet.”

O’Mara said Stewart has the second-best throw in the hammer in school history.

“[Stewart] needs to have a school record to move on to nationals in the hammer. He has thrown 186 meters, and he needs to throw six more meters,” O’Mara said.

“He didn’t do so well at regionals last year.”

Stewart expects the regional meet to be very competitive.

“It is going to be a hell of a competition,” he said. “There is going to be four of the top six in the nation at this meet in the discus. My goal is to break the school record in the hammer at this regional meet.”

McEachran said Douglas has a very good shot of making nationals in the long jump.

“If he has a jump that he had at the Big 12 championships, that will get him in the top five,” McEachran said. “I think that he can have a similar jump, and his chances of making nationals are very good.”

Douglas said he hopes to advance despite the tough competition of the regional meet.

“Nationals have been a pretty big goal for me this year,” Douglas said. “It will be fun.”

McEachran also said Kaczmarczyk should perform well in his events.

“Daniel is closer to making nationals in the triple jump. He has to jump as far as he has already, but not much farther,” McEachran said.

“In the long jump, he has to jump eight to 10 inches farther than he has this year. He has jumped farther than that in the past, though.”