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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Kerri McClung Feature
June 07, 2005 | Women's Track and Field
June 7, 2005
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - A small, round metal ball has been life-changing for Kerri McClung.
A fifth-year senior at Bowling Green, McClung's love affair with the shot put has helped her earn a college education, provided the opportunity to make many friends and has allowed her to travel to numerous states.
McClung's final trip as a Falcon started this morning as she and coach Scott Sehmann are flying to the NCAA national track and field championships in Sacramento, Calif.
"I have never been to California ... College athletics is just amazing for that kind of thing," she said. "You get an all-expenses paid trip and all you have to do is take an 8.8-pound ball and throw it as far as you can and see what happens."
McClung is one of 27 shot putters expected to compete Thursday. Approximately 12-15 of those will advance to Saturday's finals.
"There is a goal out there to make the finals (Saturday) and get another chance for three more throws," she said. "It's going to take a pretty big throw to be an All-American.
"If I was an All-American, no one would be able to wipe the grin off my face. That would be amazing."
Of the 27 qualifiers to the NCAAs, McClung has the 17th-best effort this season, a BG record 52-feet-8 1/4 in a meet last month.
After throwing 51-1 and finishing seventh at the NCAA regionals, it became a nerve-wracking wait for McClung. The top five in four different regionals automatically advance to the nationals, with the rest of the field filled with at-large invitations. Her performance during the season helped McClung earn one of the at-large bids.
"There are so many things that go against you in life, you can't really bank on it until you get the final confirmation," she said.
McClung is the first Falcon to advance to the nationals in the shot put since Nikki Lessig in 1995.
"I think about 53 feet would certainly put us awfully close to being where we want to be," Sehmann said. "We've been at 51-52 feet during the last week and a half in training. We're still on the upside, we're not going down yet.
"I'm looking at her to be at her best and certainly her best is what it's going to take."
McClung was introduced to the shot put in junior high.
"I fell in love with it, but I don't know how you fall in love with a piece of metal," she said. "I was just really blessed to have that talent and the natural strength and that explosive muscle."
At 5-feet-3, McClung doesn't have the usual stature for a shot putter. She has worked hard to reach the elite level in the event.
"The shot put is such a technical event. Most people think you go out there, you stare at this ball, you grunt and you throw," she said. "Strength is where I get my advantage ... The strength training here has helped.
"I've learned so much in five years about all that; how to get your body to do what you want it to do."
Sehmann said McClung's work ethic has played an important part in her development.
"Her accomplishments are due to a great deal of hard work and stick-to-itiveness or whatever you want to call it over the last five yeas to make it happen," Sehmann said. "She's put in the extra hours doing drills and other activities that obviously would make her a better athlete, and she always didn't necessarily have to do those things.
"I didn't have to force her or prod her to get the job done."
During her four years at Portland (Ind.) High School, McClung won the state championship in the shot as a sophomore and a senior and was second the other two years. Indiana does not have a class system in track, meaning McClung defeated all-comers in the event.
"It's the best way to do it, you don't have to share a state title with anybody," she said.
After becoming disappointed with Purdue during the recruiting process, McClung decided on Bowling Green. It's a decision she hasn't regretted.
McClung received her undergraduate degree in May 2004 and earned 21 credits for her master's degree this year while working as a teacher's assistant at St. Aloysius. She has been named to the academic All-Mid-American Conference team in each of the last three years.
"Bowling Green has been an awesome community to be a part of for five years," McClung said. "It's going to be kind of hard to pack up my car and drive away for the last time.
"You just mature over the course of five years. I've learned so much about competing and working with other people."
