The Luck and Skill of the Irish

Imagine being an All-America when you aren't even an American. James Russell has managed to do it.

The junior from just outside Dublin, Ireland, earned that honor by placing third in the 35-Ib. weight throw in the NCAA Indoor Championships last weekend in Oklahoma City, Ok.

Russell's throw of 63-ft., 10-1/4-in. was less than three feet behind the winning heave of San Jose State's Fred Schumacher.

Clearly, he is one of Harvard's most successful athletes.

Russell began throwing in high school and learned about Harvard from his coach, a B.U. alumnus. Because of Russell's desire to study in the U.S., his interest in the sport grew with much intensity.

"My coach wanted me to go to an American school and he was aware that if you threw the hammer, you had one foot in the door, since most states here don't have the event in high school," he said. "So if you can get up to a really good level at home, it look really good when you apply to colleges here."

Coming to this country might have lead to homesickness, but Russell was able to overcome it.

"I miss the parents. I miss the family," he said. "But I never really felt homesick in Boston, because you can go down to one of the pubs and it's as if you're back home."

As a Harvard freshman, Russell was good enough to qualify for the national collegiate championships. By sophomore year, he had not improved as much as he had expected. The distance he threw did not increase.

This setback, however, did not stop him from training. Finally, his training produced impressive results.

Russell broke a 26-year-old Harvard record with a throw of 19.73 meters (64-ft., 8 3/4-in.) at the IC4A tournament held at the Gordon Track Facility two weekends ago. The previous record was held by Stanley Doten, whose best throw reached 64-ft., 5 1/2-in.

"I'm delighted I got the record," Russell said. "The IC4As were exciting because it was here. It was nice to do it in front of the home crowd."

Russell predicted that he would break the record in the beginning of the season. "He said, 'It's going,'" Coach Frank Haggerty said. "'It's been there too long.'"

Haggerty believes that Russell does so well in throwing events because he is so graceful. He has to be skilled in the circle, since he gives away about 40 pounds and several inches of height to most of his competitors.

"There's no question that, technically, he is the best thrower in the nation," Haggerty said. "If you watch him throw, even if you don't know anything about the sport, you can gain an appreciation for it."

As the spring approaches, Russell has his eyes set on another Harvard mark-the hammer throw record set in 1980 by Tom Lenz at 213.4 meters.

"I hope I can convert from the weight, which is more of a strength event, to the hammer. The hammer is better suited to me because it requires speed and technique," he said.

Dominance

His speed and technique will help him overcome many of his competitors. The NCAA drug-testing regulations will also help him as he will not have to face the "Steroid Monsters" who have beaten him in previous seasons.

Russell refuses to make predictions about the future. "You can never tell how you're going to do in the next season," he said. "Your training might not be right or you might have too much studying to do."

Haggerty, however, has high expectations for his prized thrower. He believes that Russell can swing the hammer over 220 meters and be among the top four throwers in the nation.

Although he attributes much of his success to hard work, he does not overlook the influence of his coaches.

"I'm very fortunate that Al [Bashian] is a great coach. He's what a true coach should be," Russell said of his throwing coach. "He's responsible not only for keeping me where I am, but he's also responsible for keeping my interest alive in the sport."

Russell has too much fun with his coaches and teammates to lose interest in the sport.

Haggerty kids with him about St. Patrick's Day in an imitation brogue. Sophomore Joe Giani, also a weight thrower, laughed, "there are a lot of things I'd like to say about James, but I'd better not say them."

Russell said that his performance does not mean as much to him now as it will in the future.

"Thirty years down the road, you'll see your name up on the board," he said. "That's when you'll want to be wearing your letter sweater and you'll be proud of what you did."