Best Throw Comes On Biggest Stage for Florida Freshman Stipe Zunic
Thursday, June 9, 2011 | Track and Field
By: Sean Cartell
UF Communications
Freshman Florida thrower Stipe Zunic remembers looking at the Track and Field News formchart before he headed west for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He doesn't put much stock into what is written about him, but he was confident that he could do better than the 10th-place javelin finish that was predicted in the latest edition.
On Wednesday at Drake Stadium, he did just that.
Zunic jumped out with a lifetime personal-best toss and the fourth-best throw in school history on his first attempt with a mark of 75.01m/246-1. He finished in fourth place at the event, totaling five points for the Gators in their only scoring opportunity of the day.
“When I saw the list and then the results, I knew I could do better than that,” Zunic said. “Track and Field News predicted me 10th and to finish in fourth position is good.”
Zunic joined the Gators prior to the start of the 2011 season from Zadar, Croatia, where he was the Croatian national record-holder in the javelin with a then-personal-best mark of 74.80m, a record he eclipsed on Wednesday afternoon in Des Moines.
At the time, he knew just one person competing at an American university, and it happened to be former Florida All-American Kemal Mesic. Zunic visited the Gainesville campus and knew it was the perfect fit.
“Kemal Mesic is my friend and he was the only guy I knew in the US,” Zunic said. “He suggested this college, and when I came to visit, the conditions were really good. It was easy to decide.”
Florida head coach Mike Holloway noted that it often takes an athlete a year to adjust to a new environment and a new coach. He says Zunic's performance on Wednesday indicates that the pieces have come together.
“When you come into a new coaching situation, sometimes it takes a year for the athlete and the coach to get to know each other,” Holloway said. “I think what you're seeing right now is Stipe and Coach [Steve] Lemke getting to know each other. What you saw today was kind of the clicking point. For Stipe to have his best throw ever at the national championships is huge. I think there will be great things in the future with him and Coach Lemke.”
Zunic opened the meet with his personal-best toss on his first throw, quickly jumping into second place, a position he held until his final throw. According to associate head coach/throws Steve Lemke, that was the plan all along.
“We've talked about that, both at the first round and here in Des Moines,” Lemke said. “We want to come out big and put pressure on other people. You want to take that pressure off of yourself and put it onto the other people in the competition.”
Zunic's throw put him in second place heading to the finals, behind the eventual winner, Tim Glover of Illinois State. He held on to that toss until the final round when Virginia Tech's Matthias Treff and Texas A&M's Sam Humphreys surpassed him. Humphreys beat him for third place by just an inch.
“I am happy because I got a PR today and a good result,” Zunic said. “My first throw, I threw a PR and took second position until the last round when two guys jumped in front of me, unfortunately. The second flight started and I cooled down, and I kind of regret not being second. I knew that I was ready. That throw was definitely promising and I know I'll throw further in the future.”
When Zunic entered the ring, his focus was narrow and his mind was clear. The end result was a five-point spark for his team, which is in contention for the school's first-ever NCAA Outdoor Championship.
“I just try to relieve my mind when I go out there,” Zunic said. “I don't want anything to bother me, I just want to be at my best. I try to think only about my approach and my technique, and nothing else. I just want to give my best.”
For Lemke, what was most impressive was that Zunic, just a rookie, stepped up on the biggest stage.
“It was a big day for Stipe,” Lemke said. “To come into his first NCAA meet and, on his first throw, have a personal best, it kind of set the tone for us. He's a great competitor and had his best competition in our biggest meet of the year.”
While he is pleased with his performance, Zunic knows his team is three days away from achieving its ultimate goal. He plans to spend that time as the best cheerleader he can possibly be for the rest of his Gator teammates.
“When I see that we're off to a good start, I'm proud of myself and all my teammates,” Zunic said. “I'm done now and I can give them my full attention and support this week.”
The NCAA Championships continues on Thursday with the second day of the four-day competition. Activities begin at 1 p.m. ET from Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.
For all of the latest information on Florida track and field, please log on to www.GatorZone.com/trackfield or, for up-to-the-minute updates, follow the team's Twitter account @GZTrackField or www.twitter.com/GZTrackField.
