Collegiate leader, NAIA record holder to compete at meet for first time since 2017, looking to continue his ascent among Canadian all-time throwers after successful Mt. SAC Relays

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Rowan Hamilton likes to throw happy.

He’s keen on keeping things entertaining and fun when it comes to training. He also loves a good “dad joke.”

Standing at 6 feet 3, the hammer thrower from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver is not only breaking records, but breaking down the stereotypes of a thrower.

“Rowan surprises a lot of people, actually,” British Columbia throws coach Garrett Collier said. “He’s like a big kid. He’s definitely got a killer instinct in the ring, but always has a big smile on his face. He’s been really awesome to work with.”

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Hamilton, 22, enters this Friday’s Oregon Twilight at Hayward Field in Eugene as the overall collegiate leader after throwing a lifetime-best 241 feet, 8 inches (73.66m) at the Mt. SAC Relays Presented by Nike on April 16, shattering the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) men’s hammer throw record.

“It’s been very exciting, and I forgot what it’s like to be in that sort of competitive area, even just watching other throwers compete, that was really special,” explained Hamilton after not being able to compete due to COVID-19. “I was maybe a little nervous, but got more familiar as the throws went on, and it was a good experience, especially leading up to Oregon because I’ll be surrounded by more competitive athletes.”

Hamilton’s rise to one of the best collegiate hammer throwers began at elementary school in Chilliwack, B.C.

“(Last) Wednesday I was volunteering at the Vancouver Elementary School track meet, and I got to see all of the kids doing shot put, which of course was my favorite event in elementary school,” Hamilton said. “I guess that’s where I started throwing.”

Hamilton, who attended Sardis Secondary School and threw discus and hammer for Valley Royals Club, was mentored by legendary Canadian thrower Harold Willer, who was a three-time NAIA champion in the hammer throw at Simon Fraser University and secured a Pan American Games silver medal in 1983.

Hamilton went on to have a successful prep career and earned silver in 2017 in the Under-20 hammer throw with a mark of 204-7 (62.37m) at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa, before placing seventh at the Pan American Under-20 Championships in Trujillo, Peru later that summer.

Hamilton, who Collier describes as a lover of the outdoors and big “Pacific Northwest guy” wanted to stay in British Columbia for college.

With a rich history and tight-knit community in the throws, coupled with strong academics, University of British Columbia was an easy choice for him to continue his throwing career.

In his first year with the Thunderbirds, Hamilton made a name for himself at the collegiate level, winning the NAIA title in the spring of 2019 with a throw of 208-4 (63.50m).

“Going into the university, I had never thrown the 16-pound (hammer) before and I didn’t know how far it was going to go,” Hamilton said. “I went (into my freshman year) with a goal to come first on the podium, and that was a great feeling accomplishing that, especially with it being my first year and imagining myself getting to do that four times in a row.”

That summer of 2019, Hamilton won the PanAm Under-20 Championships in Costa Rica, with a Canadian record of 247-2 (75.35m), setting himself up for a strong sophomore year at British Columbia.

“We were really excited about what 2020 was going to be like,” Collier said.

The next two years for Hamilton took a different spin though, as British Columbia and the rest of the world navigated their way through the pandemic.

With collegiate athletics in Canada at a standstill, the extended training period allowed Hamilton the time to train to redefine his motor and throwing technique. Collier explained they went into training with no real goals in mind because they didn’t know when competition would be allowed again.

“We changed our perspective a little bit and just focused really on breaking down Rowan’s technique with less pressure to throw far, than throw correctly,” Collier explained.

For Hamilton, who has no problems getting the hammer to move, it’s been about control, along with staying relaxed in the ring and moving away from the grip-and-rip concept that have been the main focal points to help him reach the next level, and progress as a thrower.

“When I was in high school my old coach used to say, ‘Watching you throw is like a lottery, you never knew what you were going to get,’” Hamilton said. “I needed the time off to focus mostly on technical changes and becoming more consistent with good technique, rather than just trying to throw as hard as I can.”

And now this spring, Hamilton is reaping the benefits.

After a highly anticipated two-year wait to return to competition, he’s made his mark. At the UBC Open, he won March 27 with a then-PR of 236-11 (72.22m).

“I think mentally it was a little difficult,” Hamilton said of being away from competition. “But it really taught me how to self-motivate and just focus on my own technique and motivate myself, which is something I can carry forward in the long run.”

At the Mt. SAC Relays, Collier said Hamilton’s winning throw of 241-8 wasn’t even his best one, as a few were fouls that went further. Hamilton elevated to the No. 5 all-time Canadian competitor, finishing ahead of 20-year-old Ethan Katzberg, who then ascended the following week to No. 3 in the country’s history with a 243-3 (74.16m) performance April 23 at Oregon Relays.

Hamilton currently leads the NAIA by a margin nearly 35 feet better than the second-highest mark of 206-7 (62.96m) held by Tyler Summers of Hastings College.

“At Mt. SAC we are starting to see those gains and he looks like quite a different thrower than two years ago,” Collier said. “We expect him to throw a lot further the next couple weeks but it was really great to see Rowan do that in competition. Rowan is a big-meet thrower, and he wants to get into the meets where he’s not the favorite. He always throws well in big competitions.”

Hamilton leads all collegiate divisions with his mark – Logan Blomquist of Southeast Missouri is the top Division 1 competitor at 240-1 (73.18m) – and will get another good test Friday at the Oregon Twilight before focusing his attention on defending his NAIA title at the end of the month.

Mason Strunk of Oregon, Larson Fairbairn of Pacific Lutheran, Ben Meade of George Fox and British Columbia teammate William Kizell are also scheduled to compete.

Friday will mark the first time Hamiton will compete at Hayward Field since he participated at the Oregon Twilight in 2017, as junior in high school, and took first place in the hammer 199-6 (60.81m).

He is also looking to join the ranks of the top 25 collegiate competitors in history, with the all-time cutoff currently at 242-1 (73.77m).

“I’m just excited to see the stadium and see the throwing area,” Hamilton said. “This is my first time back since Grade 11 and that was my first ever time throwing 60 meters, so hopefully I’ll be going back and setting a new lifetime PB.”

While it’s been five years, and Hamilton is a different thrower, he’s still channeling the same child-like excitement every time he steps in the circle to throw.

“l always like to say, I like to throw happy, and that’s kind of something I’ve always done,” he said. “Obviously when I’m in the ring, I try to be very serious and focused, but it’s just exciting and I am really happy to throw. It’s a really exciting experience and I think I will probably feel similar to how I did in Grade 11, and getting there (at Hayward) and being so excited to throw.”