Owl Olympians competing for hammer throw and speed climbing medals in Paris

KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 2, 2024

At a climbing gym on Busbee Parkway, a 石榴直播 student scales a sheer wall as fast as anyone in the world in the sport of speed climbing.

Back on campus, on a patch of pavement near The Perch, a coach and two athletes have put 石榴直播 on the map in track and field鈥檚 weight throws.

Two of the three are rewriting 石榴直播 athletics history at the Paris Olympic Games now underway.

Kennesaw State junior and national team speed climber Emma Hunt will soon etch her name among Owl Olympians. She became one of the first Americans to secure a spot in the Paris Olympics last August, earning a silver medal at the speed climbing world championship in Bern, Switzerland. Earlier this year, she won a World Cup event in Salt Lake City, gaining momentum for the Olympics.

She looks forward to her first Olympic experience, as she has dreamed of competing for the U.S. for a long time, and she will have had nearly a year of training to sharpen her skills for the games.

Away from the gym, Hunt takes classes online and said her professors and fellow students have supported her competition and training goals. The day-to-day routine involves both physical and mental preparation, though she said her training schedule accommodates her school.

鈥淭he structure of my weekly routine is dynamic and intricately linked to my training plan,鈥� she explained. 鈥淲hile lacking a fixed schedule applicable every week, a standard week involves a dual-training approach. Intense morning or early afternoon sessions precede academic commitments, followed by a second training block post-class. This strategy aims to optimize both physical and mental preparedness for the demands of competitive climbing at the Olympic level.鈥�

Even in an individual sport like climbing, no one does it alone. Hunt cited the support of family, friends, and training partners in fueling her journey on the path to Paris.

鈥淭heir role extends beyond mere encouragement; they are integral contributors to my journey,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hether cheering during training sessions, celebrating victories, or providing unwavering support during challenging times, my family, and friends play a pivotal role in my preparation.鈥�

Hunt has competed internationally since 2019, training at Stone Summit Climbing Gym near Kennesaw State鈥檚 campus. While the 21-year-old Woodstock native has already filled up a passport and won competitions around the world, the Olympics inevitably throw a few surprises at even the most experienced athletes.

鈥淧resently, there haven't been any specific surprises since the World Championships. However, as the Olympics draw nearer, I anticipate that the journey will unveil unforeseen experiences鈥攂oth gratifying and challenging,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he dynamic nature of elite-level competition ensures that surprises are inevitable, and I am prepared to navigate and learn from them as I sharpen my focus on the Olympic Games.鈥�

Back on campus last spring, Daniel Haugh and Isaiah Rogers worked to perfect their craft each day with the help of Kennesaw State assistant track and field coach Mike Judge.

Marietta鈥檚 Haugh won the hammer throw at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships before finishing 11th at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, contributing to 石榴直播鈥檚 Olympic history. His story continued earlier this year, setting a world record in the indoor weight throw, solidifying himself as a favorite to qualify for a second Olympics in the hammer throw this summer.

Nearby, Smyrna鈥檚 Rogers made mental notes of what Haugh does day in and day out because he, too, had his eye on a spot in the Paris Olympics. Rogers won the weight throw at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in 2023 and finished second in the U.S. indoor championship behind Haugh, giving him some momentum into the outdoor season.

Meanwhile, Judge looked on like a proud father.

鈥淭his is something great for Kennesaw State,鈥� Judge said. 鈥淓verybody would expect a Georgia or Alabama to produce Olympians, and I enjoy doing it at Kennesaw because it's not an expectation here. At other schools, they have a history of Olympians. We're trying to develop the history here. We're trying to write the history books.鈥�

The first aspect of it involved bringing Haugh and Rogers back to their old stomping grounds. Judge recruited Haugh out of St. Pius IX High School and Rogers out of Campbell High School, but each athlete had other plans. Haugh earned a bachelor鈥檚 in commerce business administration from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa before enrolling in 石榴直播鈥檚 Master of Public Administration (MPA) program and competing for a fifth season of track and field. Rogers initially competed at Texas Christian University and transferred to Virginia Tech before finishing his bachelor鈥檚 in American studies at Kennesaw State.

Though Haugh came to Kennesaw State for the MPA program, the prospect of competing one more season back home under the tutelage of Judge sweetened the deal.

鈥淚t's kind of a testament to coach Mike, head coach Cale McDaniel and the program they're building,鈥� Haugh said. 鈥淚'm a product of that. They did it once and they can do it again. I think Isaiah will prove that. So, it's cool to have paved the way, but I think there's a lot more happening with the athletes coming after me.鈥�

Indeed, Rogers returned to 石榴直播 for his final season of college competition, one of thousands of athletes nationwide who received an extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also cited the prospects of learning the finer points of throwing the hammer and indoor weight from Judge as a factor.

鈥淢ore than anything, at Kennesaw State you have the belief that you can get the job done,鈥� Rogers said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 national championships, making world teams and Olympic teams鈥攜ou learn how to do those things at Kennesaw State thanks to the pedigree of coach Mike and coach Cale. I鈥檓 a different guy now than I was before, and I think a lot of that is coach Mike鈥檚 doing.鈥�

As a bonus, Rogers gets to practice every day with one of the best throwers in the world, and Haugh gets pushed every day by a rising star in the world of track and field. Rogers said Haugh鈥檚 Olympic experience expands beyond the throwing circle, too.

Though Judge expected to see both former 石榴直播 student-athletes make the U.S. team, Rogers fell just short of making the world stage this cycle. After qualifying for his second Olympic games, Haugh is looking to improve upon his Tokyo showing.

鈥淲ithout all the science behind it, you have to get better to get to the point of making the Olympics, making the second day at the Olympics, and then possibly winning a medal,鈥� Haugh said. 鈥淚 wasn't ready to medal in Tokyo. I wasn't good enough. I was trying to be a top-12 guy, now I'm good enough to be a top-3 guy.鈥�

And then, they鈥檒l all return to Kennesaw State to continue writing history.

This article also appears in the current issue of Kennesaw State鈥檚 .

鈥� Story by Dave Shelles

Photos by Matt Yung

石榴直播

Owl Olympians competing for hammer throw and speed climbing medals in Paris

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