In the Nest: Mateya Haintz Finds Home and Throwing Success in Bowling Green
Medical Mutual
4/17/2023
Mateya Haintz (Pitt Meadows, British Columbia) is in her second season at Bowling Green, competing in the weight throw and hammer throw. She is a two-time Academic All-MAC selection and placed fifth in the weight throw at the 2023 MAC Indoor Championship. Haintz currently ranks fourth in program history and first in the MAC this season in the hammer throw. She took time from her busy schedule of throwing, travel, and classes to answer some questions!
Q: You are from Pitt Meadows, British Columbia. What is something people should know about your hometown?
Haintz: Pitt Meadows is a smaller city that lies between the mountains and the Fraser River. I live right along the Fraser River, so my four younger siblings and I would walk down the trails and along the river in the summer. We also visit the mountains often. There’s one spot called Gold Creek which has the cleanest glacier river water that we’d swim in on hot days. Pitt Meadows is also home to the Katzie First Nation, which is located about two minutes from my house. We’d hang out there often and my mom would host events. She is an Aboriginal Education Support worker. Although it’s not part of our First Nation/Native band/tribe, we’re always welcomed with open arms as if it is.
Q: How did you first get into Track and Field, and when did you realize it was possible to continue competing at the collegiate level?
Haintz: When I was younger, I tried every sport you could think of. My main two were MMA/wrestling and track and field. My dad was a coach at The Fight Pit, an MMA gym back home, so he got me started in MMA when I was five. This really started my love for athletics as a whole and the rush you get while working your body and competing. I then shifted this love for MMA to high school wrestling, which I continued until my grade 10 year. After this, I focused solely on track and firld and it became my primary love in sport.
I started out throwing discus and shot put, however, at a throws clinic, the late throws coach Richard Collier suggested I try hammer throw. He felt that I would have potential in it. After that, my parents were asking around about throwing coaches who specialized in hammer, which is when I met Bradley Graham, who ended up coaching me from age 12 through high school. He and the girls I trained with created my love for track and the hammer throw. They were also the reason I pursued competing at the collegiate level and came to the United States for school.
Q: You transferred to Bowling Green after two seasons at Charlotte. What drew you to BGSU?
Haintz: When I decided to transfer, the main goal I had was to find a school with a great coach and throwing program. I grew up training with Kaila Butler back in Maple Ridge, Canada, so I had a connection to BG through her. I heard great things about Coach Derrick Vicars and the BG throws program. Kaila and Derrick both reached out to me when I put my name in the portal and I felt that it would be a great opportunity due to the long success which BG Throws had. Kaila was always like family back home too, so coming to BG meant that I would have a family away from family while also being part of a great track program.
Q: You recently competed in the hammer throw for the first time as a Falcon. What was that experience like?
Haintz: The experience was refreshing. Last season, I popped out four of the ribs in my upper back, which held me from competition. It felt great to finally compete outdoors in Orange and Brown. It was long-anticipated and very fulfilling to be back competing in the event I love with a group of girls who I had been training with for the past year and a half.
Q: You also had success in the indoor season, placing fifth in the MAC in the weight throw. What are the keys to successfully transition from indoor to outdoor competition?
Haintz: As much as weight throw and hammer throw look similar, there are definetly key aspects to the technique and timing which differ. Thus, Coach Marcus Myers and I did our best to throw the weight as similar to a hammer as possible, so the transition would be more smooth. Therefore, the key would be a strong focus on technique and timing.
Q: After the second week of competition, you already ranked fourth in program history in the hammer throw, as well as first in the MAC this season. What has been the key to this early success?
Haintz: I would say the strong emphasis we put on technique and hard trainings through the fall and the indoor season. Coach Marcus and I have both worked hard to get my body and hammer technique in good form, while also keeping my ribs in place as much as possible. There were defineitly hiccups along the way, but the strong athlete-coach relationship and ability to talk openly through practice helped move this forward a great deal. So, I would say our great working dynamic, as well as the hard trainings, allowed for this early success.
Q: When you think about your time as a Falcon, what moment sticks out as the most memorable?
Haintz: A moment that sticks out as memorable is when we volunteered at the Girls on The Run 5K at the Shops at Fallen Timbers. The volunteering activity took place right when the winter weather had hit, and we were all freezing like icicles through our parkas due to the icy wind. Despite the conditions, the whole team still brought the energy and cheered on the participants of the race as we volunteered. Hundreds of racers still ran in their long sleeves and leggings and had tons of energy. It was a great day, everyone had a great energy and vibe to them. It was also pretty inspiring to see how happy the participants and their children were to race.
Q: You are pursuing a degree in Mathematics. What would like to do when your athletic career concludes?
Haintz: I hope to use my mathematics degree to teach or become an actuary. I have always wanted to be a teacher, as I love working with youth. I grew up with four younger siblings, so I got used to helping tutor and teach pretty early. From this, I decided that it could be a job that I would enjoy, as I could teach mathematics while hopefully allowing students to enjoy the tough subject a little bit more. I figure this would also allow me to stay in sports, as I could help out with high school track and field or wrestling teams in my spare time.
Q: Who inspired you the most athletically growing up?
Haintz: I was always inspired by my teammates, specifically, Natasha Akbaridadeh who I trained with since I was 12, and Kaila Butler, who started training with me two years before I began college. I watched Natasha train daily to achieve her goals to compete in the NCAA at the D-I level since I was very young, which inspired me to train the same way she did to also compete in the NCAA. Natasha was like the older sister that I never had growing up, so that relationship allowed me to closely watch and hear about her goals and journey, which inspired me to do the same. Additionally, Kaila Bulter followed this same path, and I got to watch her compete in the NCAA as well. She also inspired me to do everything I could to achieve these same goals. My coach back home, Bradley Graham, also inspired me through the journey as he spent hours on end with me every day to make sure that I was in the best postion possible to meet my goals. His confidence in my ability allowed me to feel more confident in myself along the way. I owe a great deal to him for motiviating me through the tough trainings to reach my end goals.
Q: Do you have any pre-meet superstitions or routines?
Haintz: Back in high school, I used to always drink a white Monster and eat a Tim Horton’s vanilla dip donut before competitions. In college, I take some pre-workout and continue my donut tradition when I can. I also listen to “’Til I Collapse” by Eminem and “Stronger” by Kanye before competitions and watch old training/competition videos to get prepared.
Q: What is your go-to meal?
Haintz: My go-to meal back home is sushi. I always get salmon and tuna rolls with some miso soup, then douse them with wasabi and soy sauce.
Q: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Haintz: Grace Bradtmueller. She may appear quiet at first, but she’d surprise you with her quick wit. Although, Coach Marcus always gives everyone at practice a good laugh.
Q: Describe Coach Marcus Myers in one sentence.
Haintz: He always brings the energy to practice to motivate us through the good days and the bad.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a part of the Falcon Track and Field program?
Haintz: My favourite thing would be the community that the team has. The team may be rather small for a track and field program, however I find that this helps build a community and family-like feel among the team and coaches. It really is like a little family, which I have appreciated greatly being so far from home.
Q: What is one individual goal and one team goal you’d like to achieve this season?
Haintz: Individiually, I would like to win the MAC Championships in the hammer to score some points for the team. I would also like to qualify for the NCAA East Regionals to compete for a spot at the NCAA Championships.
As a team, I hope that we can all hit our set goals to score big points at MAC. At the beginning of each season, we make a goal board which sits in our locker room, so I hope that all the girls on the team are able to achieve their goals and perform to their best at MACs.
