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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Chewelah’s Will Lohman will do double duty at NCAA meet

Lohman

Will Lohman hasn’t exactly taken the fast track to success.

Then again, there wasn’t much of a track at his high school in Chewelah, which makes Lohman’s success story that much more remarkable.

“We couldn’t even afford to put names on our jerseys,” said Lohman, who also overcame injuries and a college transfer to not only reach the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, but graduate from the University of Nebraska with a 4.0 grade-point average.

This afternoon in Eugene, Oregon, the Cornhuskers senior will compete in the finals of the hammer throw and the shot put at the championships. It’s a tough double – only two others will attempt it this year – but Lohman has been there, done that many times.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” said Lohman, who’s ranked in the top 25 in both events – low enough to lessen the pressure but high enough to make the favorites work a little harder.

Lohman has done that for years with a work ethic that has carried him far from Chewelah. As a middle-schooler, his basketball skills caught the attention of longtime coach Pat Kostecka.

“I said, ‘Hey, turn out for track,’ and he picked up on it right away,” said Kostecka, who ran a strong program despite a dirt track. Kostecka taught in Chewelah for 24 seasons before taking a job three years ago at Mt. Spokane.

The only tough part, according to Kostecka, was convincing Lohman to be more “playful” and less analytical – no small feat for an honor-roll student. Finding his rhythm, Lohman eventually won four State 1A titles in 2009 and 2010, including a 61-foot, 5-inch effort in the shot his senior year that was the top state mark at all classifications.

Kostecka deserves much of the credit “because he got me into this,” Lohman said.

Lohman earned a scholarship at Boise State, but a coaching change in 2013 prompted the move to Nebraska. He overcame two hip injuries to finish 18th in the NCAA hammer last year with a throw of 202-9. This year he enters the nationals with a mark of 215-10, the 12th-best regional mark in the field of 24.

Lohman’s 61-4 best in the shot ranks 22nd. Lohman will be joined in the shot by the only other local athlete at the NCAAs – Aaron Castle of Newport is competing for Arizona.

Lohman has succeeded despite a 5-11, 245-pound frame that’s small by NCAA standards.

“I can’t rely on size or strength, so I just try to be explosive,” said Lohman, who figures he needs just one outsized throw to place in the hammer.

“I don’t have the pressure a lot of others do, so I really have nothing to lose,” Lohman said.

On hand will be his parents, Gerry and Julie, as well as Kostecka, who flew from Spokane on Tuesday night.

“I wouldn’t miss this for anything,” Kostecka said.

After the NCAAs – and the conclusion of what he calls the best five years of his life, the 24-year-old will contemplate a bright future. He graduated last month with a degree in criminal justice and may enter law enforcement, partly to help change some people’s attitudes about police officers.

He may continue to compete in the hammer, depending partly on how things go today.

“I feel very lucky to have this opportunity to compete in a sport I love,” Lohman said.