As a senior in industrial technology, a former football player and wrestler and currently a two-event athlete on the ISU track and field team, Jamal Salahuddin can do a little bit of everything.

This is the second year Salahuddin has been competing for the ISU track and field team. During the indoor season, he competed in the shot put, but in the outdoor season he is a double threat — throwing the shot and also tossing the discus.

In the indoor season, Salahuddin just missed qualifying for the indoor NCAA Championships.

“Everything went OK, but he wanted to throw farther,” throws coach Dan O’Mara said. “[In the indoor season] he wanted to throw the shot put 60 feet. He fell just short of that mark, but close. We want to throw over [60] in the outdoors.”

During the outdoor season, Salahuddin had a big day at the UNI Twilight meet April 17 in Cedar Falls, capturing first place in the discus (184-1) and the shot put (58-11 1/2). Both of those marks qualified him for the NCAA Midwest Regionals.

Although he has already achieved some high marks, Salahuddin still notices some room for improvement.

“I need to be more consistent,” Salahuddin said. “I want to throw a better mark than I have been throwing. I plan on throwing farther and scoring some points for the team [in the Big 12 Championships].”

Head coach Steve Lynn said Salahuddin is very serious at training and competing, and the best is yet to come.

“I think that his highlights are still ahead of him,” Lynn said. “He strives to throw well and is always helping out others. All of the improvements he has made are now paying dividends. He keeps getting a lot of [personal records].”

Although Salahuddin has performed well in both seasons, he prefers the outdoor season over the indoor.

“I like the outdoors better because I get to do two events instead of one,” Salahuddin said. “It is better to throw outside because of the good environment. I like the whole outdoor atmosphere.”

Although this is Salahuddin’s second year competing for the Cyclones, he is a junior. Salahuddin started his collegiate activities at Bowling Green State, but was forced to move.

“Bowling Green State cut their track program, and I still wanted to throw,” Salahuddin said. “My two choices came down to Ohio State and Iowa State. The reason [I picked] Iowa State was because they had a good throws coach. Also they are more on the semester system at school, and I was used to that at Bowling Green State.”

Once Bowling Green State cut the track program, the football coach wanted him to be part of the football team.

“When I was looking around at other universities [to throw], the football coach offered me a scholarship at Bowling Green State,” Salahuddin said. “I played defensive end in high school, but I really wanted to keep throwing.”

Lynn said Salahuddin would have been a fine college football player.

“He has quick feet and long arms,” Lynn said. “He is a tough enough guy that he would have been a good football player.”

Salahuddin isn’t the only member in his family competing in track and field.

“I have a twin brother that competed in the decathlon with me at Bowling Green State,” Salahuddin said. “In our junior and senior years in high school we both made the state track meet.”

Lynn’s connections in the Bowling Green State track program are ultimately what led to him finding Salahuddin.

“When [Bowling Green State] dropped their track program, we went to recruit Grant Shadden, who is an Iowa kid,” Lynn said. “The [Bowling Green State] coach, who is a close personal friend of mine, really liked Jamal and wanted him to go to a place where people could look after him and to a place that had a good throws coach.”

Lynn said he was impressed with Salahuddin immediately.

“Once Jamal came in for a visit, there was no question that we wanted him here,” Lynn said. “We new that his physical stature and personality would fit in well with the team. He has just the biggest smile.”

Teammates of Salahuddin really enjoy his personality, too. Javelin thrower Matt Murdock said he enjoys working with him.

“He brings a great personality to practice every day; that’s who he is,” Murdock said. “He always makes everyone laugh.”

Murdock thinks the best is still to come for Salahuddin.

“Right now he is throwing real well,” Murdock said. “He can throw better though; the sky’s the limit with Jamal. He has all the physical and mental tools to throw as far as he wants.”