If the women’s track and field team needs points in a meet, they will probably come from discus, shot put and hammer thrower Susan Sherman.

“In the conference meets, I am a good point-scorer on the team,” Sherman said. “I just try and get as many points as I can, but I am never satisfied. I always want to do better.”

So far in the outdoor track season Sherman has boosted Iowa State’s team score on several occasions. At the Clemson Invite last month she got first place with a discus throw of 163-6. A week later, at the Tom Botts Invite in Columbia, Mo., she won the discus throw and received second place in the hammer throw. Sherman also took first place in the discus at the rainy UNI Twilight Meet with a throw of 147 feet.

“She is a triple-threat scoring machine,” throwing coach Dan O’Mara said. “I think that she can score in all three events. She can get a top-three finish in the discus and hammer throws at the Big 12 Championships. Also, she can get a top-5 finish at the [NCAA] regionals.”

With the Big 12 regionals coming up, Sherman is working to get good placing in all three events.

“I am throwing pretty decent right now,” Sherman said. “By the time the Big 12 regionals come around, I hope to be throwing the discus a lot better. I am mainly working on technique and form on the shot put and hammer throw, and I am throwing a lot better.”

While Sherman is throwing in three events, she has does have a favorite of the three.

“I like throwing the discus the best because that is the one that I am best at,” Sherman said. “But I am feeling more comfortable at throwing the hammer.”

With this being Sherman’s junior year, she can already look back at a superb career. But there are more things that she still wants to accomplish in her college career.

“I already have the indoor record here at Iowa State with a weight throw toss of 63 feet, 11 inches,” Sherman said. “I want to continue getting better and develop my skills.”

“She is always improving,” O’Mara said. “I think she can keep breaking school records in the discus and hammer throws. She is a good athlete, and there is no reason why she can’t keep breaking new records.”

Sherman, who went to high school at Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, S.D., learned the tricks of the trade in high school.

“I started throwing the discus and shot put during my freshman year in high school. I didn’t want to at first but I caught on pretty easy,” Sherman said. “I didn’t start throwing the hammer until my freshman year at Iowa State. We didn’t have a hammer throw event in high school.”

There are many memorable moments in an athlete’s career that are hard to forget. Sherman said she is no exception.

“My main accomplishment in high school would have to be when I won the discus and shot put throws in the state track meet. Here at college would have to be winning the Big 12 indoor weight throw event,” Sherman said. “An embarrassing moment for me, but funny for everyone who saw it, was when I was a freshman at Iowa State and I went to throw the weight throw and I fell on my butt.”

With the various practices and meets, Sherman has had a chance to build many friendships on the team.

“She is a really good thrower and a great person on and off the track,” men’s javelin thrower Matt Murdock said. “Her sense of humor makes throwing and training even better.”