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Marietta Daily Journal Article
In the Deep end
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Marietta Daily Journal Sports Writer
If you want to see the impact that the Throw 1 Deep throwing club has made in
youth track and field, simply check out the numbers.
The Marietta-based organization has produced 69 high school all-Americans and
its throwers have set 26 high school state records during its seven years of
existence.
As a result, Throw 1 Deep has become the premier throwing club in the nation and
has become well known among the throwing community throughout the world.
Not bad for a program that
began with only one member on its roster when former Georgia standout Mike Judge
started the club in 1999.
Now, with its 22 high school athletes, Throw 1 Deep is the largest club of its
kind in the nation and has become a force to be reckoned with on the national
junior track and field scene.
For Judge, state-of-the-art training techniques and simple hard work are the
keys to the success of his athletes.
"One reason we're so successful is we do the right stuff," Judge said. "I'm a
USATF Level 2 instructor and I teach physiology and I'm always learning new ways
to get the most out of our athletes. In our training, we use cutting edge stuff
to get cutting edge results. We also just do a lot of drills and strength
training."
Throw 1 Deep is a year-round club, competing in the indoor season from December
to March and the outdoor season from April to August.
Among the throwers on the roster are a veritable who's-who of Cobb high school
standouts, such as recent graduates David Schiedt and Emily Bernhardt of
Lassiter, Kristin Smith of Sprayberry, Beau Schmookler of McEachern and Jessica
Irrizarry of Harrison, as well as rising sophomore Lauren Chambers and rising
junior Sharla Adeduro, both of Kell.
Bernhardt, a seven-time all-American who has signed with Kentucky, finished
second in the Class AAAAA state meet in the discus (128-3) during the high
school season and won the hammer throw (172-2) at the U.S. Junior Nationals in
Indianapolis in June. She also won the weight throwing title at both the NSIC
Indoor Nationals in New York (52-7½) in March.
"It's been really nice,"
Bernhardt said of her success. "Seven-time all-American - it has a nice ring to
it."
Schiedt, who is headed to Georgia on a track scholarship, finished second in the
Class AAAAA state championships in the shot put (52-6½) and was second in the
weight throw (58-5) at the NSIC Indoor Nationals.
Schmookler joined Throw 1 Deep in April and immediately showed a dramatic
improvement, pushing his personal best in the discus from 157 feet, ½ inch in
April to 171 feet, 7 inches and a 10th-place finish at the Nike Outdoor
Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., on June 15.
As a result, Schmookler, who was not considered to be a college prospect before
joining Throw 1 Deep, is about to sign with Kennesaw State.
"It's been an amazing year," Schmookler said. "To improve my personal record as
much as I did is incredible."
Chambers, who is also a member of the Marietta-based Titans Track Club and
finished third in the Class AAAAA state meet in the shot put (41-1), set the
national freshman record and placed second behind Bernhardt in the weight throw
(52-7¼) an the NSIC meet and finished fourth in the hammer throw in the Nike
Outdoor Nationals (143-11).
As proud as Judge is of his throwers' accomplishments, he is just as proud of
the fact that 49 of his athletes have earned scholarships, including Schiedt
(Georgia), Bernhardt and Smith (Kentucky) and Irrizarry (Georgia State) this
year, with Schmookler soon to follow.
"We have helped so many kids get a free ride to college," Judge said. "Through
track and field, we are opening doors of opportunity for these kids."