When Mary Etter and Mariela Guante were budding track and field stars, the two attended a camp together in 1998 in North Idaho, beginning what has turned into a friendly rivalry.
Since then, Guante has gone on to become a force at the shot put at Louisiana Tech, while Etter continually places high in the discus and shot put at Oregon. Etter even participates in the hammer throw, although her notoriety has come from the former two.
Their friendship came to a rise last week when the Texas Relays came calling. Guante edged Etter out of first place in the shot put by less than one inch.
Etter would go on to take both sections of the discus throw in Austin, but her match-up against Guante was something that she will remember for a while.
“I beat her last year, and she beat me this time,” Etter said, laughing. “Her number’s up. I love her, but she’s going down.”
If the two are to face-off again this season, it will have to be in the NCAA Championships, held in Baton Rouge, La., in May. Etter, a junior, is close, having already earned an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in both the discus and shot put, the only Oregon woman to do so in two different events this season.
After placing 19th in last season’s NCAA Championships in the discus, Etter can’t wait to get back.
“Last year at nationals, I don’t know what happened,” she said. “I had never performed so poorly. Now that it has happened, I’m aware that I can crack under pressure.”
But that doesn’t mean she will. Under the intense scrutiny of the Texas Relays, Etter was stone cold, although she had to be after a tough first day.
After placing 16th in the hammer throw the previous day, Etter began her discus throws in the “B” section. Hours later, she had taken both the “A” and “B” sections. According to Texas athletic officials, other women have accomplished the feat, although it has not happened in quite some time.
“Mary threw great, and she was really on a roll,” Oregon head coach Tom Heinonen said. “She wanted to win both those events and that’s to her credit.”
But none of this surprises Guante.
When the two were facing off in Idaho, competitions were often intense. However, both became great friends and are still in contact today.
“I’m amazed (at Etter’s results), but I know she has it in her,” Guante said. “Thinking back to our track camp, it was always so intense.
“I’m a little bit amazed at her persistence.”
A three-sport star at Snohomish High in Everett, Wash., Etter has the competitive drive that can make her successful in her events. She said she misses the team aspect, and has casually thought about playing another sport, specifically basketball or soccer.
“It would be fun to do another sport,” she said. “It was really hard. At first, I would play a lot of pickup games. I played a little pick-up soccer. A lot of girls felt the same way.
“I miss the competition and the team aspect” of other sports.
In her two previous seasons at Oregon, Etter has made an impact. In 2000, Etter finished eighth at the NCAA Championships in the discus with a throw of 166-feet-11-inches. Last season, she deviated a bit, throwing for a mark of 139-2, dropping to 19th overall.
This season, however, Etter has already jumped to sixth in the nation at 173-6. She is still two feet below her personal best, but has been consistent this season.
“She is on a roll right now and she feels great about herself,” Heinonen said. “She’s enthusiastic. She competes with a lot of emotion.”
Unlike most athletes on the Oregon roster, Etter had never heard of the shrine that is Hayward Field before she came to the school. Once she was here, she fully understood the mystique of the 83-year old facility, and has since begun to carve a niche for herself in Oregon track history.
“I had never even heard of Hayward when I visited on recruiting trips,” Etter said. “Now, you see Olympians practicing on the track. It’s almost an expectation you’ve got to fulfill.”
Etter has been in Track Town, U.S.A. for almost three seasons now. With one more year, she hopes to further her mark into Oregon history. She will have some obstacles on her way but some help as well.
The season looks to be an successful one for the Pacific Northwest native, and she still has one thing to look forward to. If the track and field gods deem it so, she will take on Guante in Baton Rouge.
With this possibility, Guante has one question for Etter: “Can you feel the heat?”
When told of Guante’s question, Etter answered with a deep laugh. When asked what she would say if she met her rival at the NCAA Championships, Etter replied, “I’ve got a lot of things I’d say to her.”
One thing is for certain: Etter will let her throws speak for themselves.