Changing positions on a team is hard enough, but changing sports at the collegiate level is an even rougher transition.

The ISU varsity baseball program was discontinued in 2001, leaving many athletes on the baseball team upset and uncertain about their college futures. Two of the players on the last ISU baseball team are still competing for the Cyclones — on the track and field team.

Tyson Hilgenberg, who was a catcher on the baseball team, is in his second year of throwing the javelin for Iowa State. Nick Bolton, a former center fielder, is a sprinter who competes on the ISU relay teams. Both athletes have successfully made the transition from baseball to track.

“The former baseball coach [Lyle Smith], suggested that I give Nick a look,” head coach Steve Lynn said. “Nick came up to me and told me that he liked to run. He had speed and was a good athlete, so I gave him a chance.”

Throws coach Dan O’Mara also saw how baseball experience would help Hilgenberg in throwing the javelin.

“When you have a very fast athlete like Tyson, it is a good chance that he could perform in other sports,” O’Mara said. “He has a fast, good arm on him [being a catcher], which helps throwing the javelin. It is similar to throwing a baseball, but he had to relearn his throwing technique.”

O’Mara said Hilgenberg’s competitive attitude helps the other throwers.

Bolton was originally sought after to throw the javelin, but he told O’Mara about Hilgenberg.

“I asked to try track, and coach O’Mara wanted me to throw the javelin,” Bolton said. “I told Tyson to give [the javelin] a shot since he had a better arm. Then I asked coach Lynn if I could run sprints, and he gave me a shot.”

Hilgenberg said he nearly left Iowa State, but his desire to compete no matter what the sport kept him here, even if it did require him to throw a stick rather than a ball.

“I was going to transfer at first, but I also wanted to learn a new sport,” Hilgenberg said. “Since I was a catcher, I was used to throwing. But the javelin throw is a different throw, you have to have athleticism and arm strength to throw the javelin. Having a strong arm in baseball helped me with the javelin, and I have always been in athletics, so it came as second nature.”

Bolton has also been involved in sports, mostly baseball, his whole life. After the baseball team folded, he said he couldn’t be without sports.

“I love to compete; I played baseball my whole life,” Bolton said. “I ran in high school to get ready for baseball, and that went well, so I gave college track a chance. [I thought] why waste [my] talent?”

Hilgenberg said the two sports are quite unlike each other.

“Both are completely different — baseball is more of a team sport. I have played it my whole life so I was very confident,” Hilgenberg said.

“With throwing the javelin, I had to learn something new. It helps that [teammate Matt] Murdock and O’Mara have helped mentor me in the javelin.”

Bolton said his strength on the basepaths helped out in track.

“You need to have focus and know how to handle pressure [in track], and I had those skills in baseball,” Bolton said. “The reaction time, speed, teamwork mentality and a lot of preparation are the same for both.”

Neither athlete ever dreamed of participating in collegiate track, and Lynn said he was fortunate to get the former baseball players.

“It’s unfortunate [to lose baseball], but they are very good athletes who wanted to come out and compete,” Lynn said. “Their leadership qualities have really helped out this program; both have been great additions to the team. It is just a joy to have them.”

No one was more surprised about the end of the baseball program than Bolton.

“I was in complete shock,” Bolton said. “I was disappointed about how it turned out. To take away the reason why I came here was wrong.”

Even though they haven’t played collegiate baseball for a few years, both athletes still have baseball in their blood.

“Baseball has always been my first love,” Bolton said. “If Iowa State got a baseball team tomorrow, I might think about playing it again, but it is tough to keep up your skills.”

Hilgenberg, who came to Iowa State as a transfer, never really got started in the baseball program, but he still has no regrets about his decision to stay at Iowa State.

“It worked out for the better,” Hilgenberg said. “I have had the chance to meet a whole bunch of cool people.”