Alabama Track & Field Q&A: Daniel Haugh
3/29/2018 9:38:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Daniel Haugh enters the 2018 outdoor season with the Alabama track & field team on a high note after earning All-America honors in the weight throw at the NCAA Indoor Championships and a second-place finish in the event at the SEC Championships to help lead the Tide to its first conference indoor title since 1972. The Marietta, Ga., native is the school record holder in the weight throw and was the SEC champion in the event in 2017. Haugh also won the discus title at the 2016 SEC Outdoor Championships in Tuscaloosa and went on to earn SEC Co-Freshman Field Athlete of the Year honors that season.
How would you assess your indoor season this year?
Daniel Haugh: "I feel pretty good about the way it went. My average in the weight throw moved up about two-three feet from last year. Last season I had a big throw that kind of came out of nowhere. This year, my throws are consistently higher and filling in the gaps. I think I put together some good throws indoors. I'm just excited. I was happy the way we ended at conference and nationals, and couldn't be happier giving our team the eight points at the SEC meet."
What are your goals for the outdoor season?
DH: "I'd like to do well enough to win SEC's and be in position to win the NCAA Championship individually. I'd love for our team to get an outdoor SEC championship and do well at nationals as well. I'll compete in the discus and hammer throw so earning All-America honors in both would be a great accomplishment."
Which event are you most focused on this season?
DH: "I really want to improve in the hammer. I didn't have a good season in it last year, so we've been focusing on developing the hammer this year. My goal is to make a big jump in my personal best from 67 meters (220 feet) to the low to mid 70s (240-248 feet)."
How does your approach differ from the weight throw indoors to the hammer and discus outdoors?
DH: "In the weight throw, you've got to be a beast. You've got to get in the circle and let it rip. You still have to have good technique, but when you're in a meet, it's a 'the harder you try, the farther it will go' type of thing. The hammer is not like that at all. You've got to be really fluid with your motion. It's really similar to golf, where one slightest mistake will change the whole throw. You could lose five feet off one thing. In the discus, you have to stay calm in meets and in your training. In weight or the hammer, you're trying to be intense and gear up the adrenaline."
What's your motivation?
DH: "It's all about trying to make people proud, make my family proud. My parents have made a lot of sacrifices for me to be where I am today, so I want to make them proud. I also want to do the best I can for my team and my teammates."
How has your training changed over the years?
DH: "The yearly regimen hasn't really changed a whole lot. The only real difference is reps in the cage have increased. As I've gotten older my work capacity has increased and I can handle more throws physically than I could when I was younger."
What did winning the SEC indoor title mean for the team?
DH: "Winning the SEC championship was a big team bonding moment. We were pretty close already but winning just made us even closer. Having that friendship and that family bond from winning that together is going to help us when we get into the championship season in May and June. We'll be able to look at each other and say, 'Alright guys, we've done this before.' I think it's going to help us a lot."
Players Mentioned
