Javelin standout Hay plans leadership role in senior season

Mondschein Throwing Complex is not a heralded place. Located far down by the Schuylkill River, the training ground for Penn’s field athletes is not exactly a location that is highlighted on campus tours.

But it is there, a seeming light year from the heart of campus, that junior Kelsey Hay has mastered javelin throwing.

As she enters senior year, Hay already holds the women’s Ivy League record for javelin, a mark she set when she recorded a 51.17 meter throw at last year’s NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round. Unsurprisingly, her personal best came after three years exclusively throwing javelin in outdoor track and field.

Despite citing her high school track and field stint as being a mere afterthought to her basketball career, Hay credits simple repetition as the greatest cause for her annual improvement.

“The biggest thing for me at Penn was getting in those reps every day, focusing on jav every day in the offseason and not having to worry about any other sport, any other event.” Hay said. “Pretty much, all those reps I got are what helped me have the muscle memory and be able to go in there and trust my body.”

Track and Field, in its very nature, is not a sport that naturally encourages team unity. But, as one of the team’s captains, the onus is on Hay to gather a diverse array of athletes — from sprinters to long jumpers — and unify them as one cohesive unit. And Hay admits that the job is not easy.

“It’s definitely tough but this year more than any other year I’ve been on the team, we’ve come together more. We’ve done a lot more things at Franklin Field as a team.” Hay said, noting that team meetings, dinners and other get-togethers have built a great rapport among the field athletes and runners.

“Having [senior sprinter] Taylor Hennig and [junior distance] runner Carrie Celata who will be the captains next year along with me, I know that they’re dedicated to that too and so we’re really trying to make an effort.

“That will be the biggest ingredient in moving us up in the Ivy League, bringing everyone in and having the same mindset.”

Last year, Hay was invited to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships. At that meet, Hay pinned the pressure on herself, which she says helped her to perform well.

“I think out of everyone I put the most pressure on myself. Every year, it’s my goal to make it to that stage.” Hay said. “Having [junior thrower] Noah Kennedy-White and [senior thrower] Sam Mattis at the same stage as me, I know we’re all the same way, putting pressure on ourselves while pushing each other. It helps and motivates us.”

“Even being a mixed squad of guys and girls, we’re the closest that I’ve ever been with anybody else. What I like about our group is that we’re willing to do the work outside [of practice].” Hay said. “We’re always sending videos back and forth during the practice day.”

Heading into next season, Hay has very few trophies left to win. Still, she still wants to reach the next level and qualify for the Olympic team, which would mean rising at least three more spots in the national women’s javelin rankings. In order to do so, Hay believes that she could improve her mark by strengthening one particular element of her throw: the follow-through.

“That’s the weakest aspect of my throw, the final block.” Hay said. “That could add a meter or two to my throw.”

Although her eyes are most focused on qualifying for the 2016 US Olympics team, Hay is also looking forward to finishing her Penn track and field career strong, namely, by reaching the podium at the outdoor championships.

“It’s my goal every time outdoor Heps comes around to take home gold and once again to make it to the big stage at Eugene, Oregon for the outdoor championships,” Hay said.

“Just getting on that podium in my senior year would be the icing on the cake for me.”

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