Having a strong work ethic can take you as far as you want to go as a collegiate thrower, but having a solid frame and gauntlet-sized hands doesn’t hurt.
Oregon’s Colin Veldman fits this profile as one of the biggest men on coach Vin Lananna’s roster. At 6-foot-6, the Ft. Collins, Colo., native can be easily recognized from across Hayward Field.
Veldman is one of two Oregon throwers set to compete at next week’s NCAA Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
He’ll compete in the hammer after receiving an at-large invite for his ninth-place finish at Regionals.
Because he failed to rank in the top five, an at-large berth was Veldman’s only chance for reaching the NCAAs. As no surprise to him, his ship came in on Tuesday.
“I hit good marks. I looked around and knew it was possible as long as I made it to finals or the top 12,” Veldman said.
The redshirt junior came close to qualifying for discus as well but struggled with staying composed. Veldman recorded only one mark in the discus after fouling on his first two attempts. His lone mark of 180-01 was good for 13th place, one spot shy of putting him in contention for nationals.
“In the discus, I knew I had a chance,” Veldman said. “It’s a tough regional. I was disappointed I didn’t make it … but I threw pretty well … it’s nice to just concentrate on one event.”
Veldman’s showing last weekend was a confidence booster after the Pacific-10 Championships two weeks earlier. As with the regionals, Veldman fouled in his first two attempts. This time, however, he was without a strong third effort. He finished 20th in the event at 149-11 and sixth in the hammer with a top distance of 192-1. Veldman took ninth in the shot put (56-4 1/2), two spots out of contention for the finals.
Lananna said that Veldman’s nerves may have hindered his efforts both last week and at the conference finals.
“Colin had a tough couple of championship meets,” Lananna said. “Things slipped away from him at the Pac-10 Championships. Maybe it was nerves; there was a lot riding on him. Prior to this year, Colin had little experience in championship meets and was still getting accustomed to it at the Pac-10s.”
Lananna said that Veldman settled down more at the Regionals and has the chance to place among the nation’s best if he can do again this week.
“If he just steps out and throws like he’s capable of throwing, he could be an All-American,” Lananna said.
The NCAAs mark the first national title meet for Veldman who will be wrapping up his first year with the Ducks. A year that saw him break into the nation’s top-20 in the hammer.
“The season has been really good for me,” Veldman said. “It’s been a lot of fun being here this year and finally getting the chance to throw at this level.”
Aside from throwing well at next week’s finals, Veldman wants just to gain more experience.
Prior to this year, Veldman had not thrown in a Division I college
meet since his freshman year at Utah State in 2003. He redshirted the 2004 season because of injury but in the following year, he threw for Moorpark College, a community school in Los Angeles.
Veldman highlighted his recovery by winning titles in all three of his throwing events at the 2005 California Community College Championships.
Veldman came to Oregon before Lananna had a job in Eugene. Veldman joined the team, which was under former coach Martin Smith, because of the team atmosphere.
“I love it here,” he said. ” … All of my teammates are fun to compete with. There is a lot of history in this program and a lot of great athletes that have come out of it. It’s been
a lot of fun … the community support is just amazing. Seeing all of those people here for Pac-10s is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Veldman’s fun has not been limited to the infield. In his free time, he enjoys leisurely activities.
“I really enjoy frisbee golf,”
he said. “I’ll go up to Hendricks Park and play for hours. I’m from Colorado so I love outdoorsy stuff even if I’m alone … it’s where I go to relax.”
Veldman also enjoys playing video games with fellow Oregon thrower Brittany Hinchcliffe, one of his teammates who helps keep Veldman’s reputation on the track alive.
“My teammates give me a hard time for being like a monkey,” Veldman said. “It originated from practice when I was doing hurdles, and my knuckles sort of hit the ground. Ever since then it’s stayed with me.”
Throughout his career, Veldman has dedicated himself to maintaining a work ethic on par with that of his ancestors. Veldman’s parents were both athletes at Indiana University. Beyond them, he looks to his grandfather, Pete Veldman for support. Pete is a Holland native who passed down the family’s work ethic and blond hair color to Colin.
“My grandfather came to America and worked in the cotton fields in South Carolina,” Veldman said. “That’s how he gained his citizenship … He’s one of the hardest working people that I’ve ever met, and I look to him for inspiration. Now he has one of the biggest tire and wheel warehouse distributing companies in the world.
“You can achieve anything if you’re willing to work your hardest at it. He’s just an example of that.”
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