Like a bomb, Jacob Weintraub counts down the minutes before he is set to explode. Like a bomb, he stores-up his energy until he is ready to release it.ÿ Like a bomb, he unleashes in an explosion of energy as people gaze upon him. And like a bomb, when Weintraub goes off, it is probably best to stand at a distance. For Weintraub however, the radius blast is an average of 57 feet.
Weintraub is the freshman shot putter for the EC track and field team.
In just his first year out of Redondo High School, Weintraub has already made his presence felt at EC.
“He almost got first place (at the state championships), track and field coach Dean Lofgren said. “He is now third best in the EC all-time top ten list, with a throw of fifty six feet.”
Named the South Coast Conference Player of the meet, Weintraub still has more to prove to himself.
Weintraub has been selected to compete in Ohio at the USA Track and Field National Junior Championships Qualifier, which is an event organized for the top athletes from all over the America under the age of 20.
Being selected to compete does not provide the funds to travel to Ohio, nor does it provide the hotel accomodations.
Although he wants to attend, whether or not he actually will is still undecided.ÿÿ
“I really want to go but I’m not sure yet,” Weintraub said.
Many would credit Weintraub’s excellence with the shot put to his natural strength.
However, Weintraub has turned to new age technology to look back through time and visually see how the best performed it in the past.
“I’ve been looking through some youtube videos to see how the best did it,” said Weintraub.
Continuously finishing within the top three in every competition this season with throws consistently above 50 feet, Weintraub has become recognized and even feared as a competitor by other shot putters.
That same fear might have been the reason a prank was pulled on him during the Southern California Championships.
“They hid my shot put right before I was up,” Weintraub, who decided to use the emotional anger from the prank in order to further empower him to compete in stronger manner the following week, said. “I didn’t think it was funny.”
Just like great competitors often do, Weintraub followed through with his statement and came within a foot of winning first place.
Weintraub admits to relying on that same anger to give him an advantage.
ÿ”You can have technique, but you need emotion,” Weintraub said. “It (emotion) makes you feel like you are in another level.”
It is that same emotion that makes Weintraub into a ticking time bomb.
Through practice and experience, Weintraub has learned to funnel his emotion and allow it to explode at the right time.
“Basically, I just have to be mentally ready,” said Weintraub.
Weintraub has also shared his mental strategy with Na’I Leni, a female shot putter for the Warriors who has also broken school records this season.
“She needs to get angry sometimes,” Weintraub said. “I try to challenge her.”
Although he competes in an individual event, Weintraub has shown that he cares about other fellow Warriors as well.
“He told me he knew I had more in me,” Leni said, of the encouragement and guidance Weintraub has shared with her.
With the season finally over, there is time to measure the success of many of the members of both teams, whom set new school records.
Adams the new school record in the 3,000 steeplechase, while Rubi recorded the best third all-time record in the steeplechaser as well. Victoria Radke broke in EC’s top time all-time in the pole vault.
Na’I Leni set the new school record for the shoput, she won the South Cost Conference athlete of the year and was the Southern California Champion.
For the men, Steven Calice was the Southern California Champion in the 1,500-meter, Jacob Weintraub set the third best shotput record for EC. Charles Hutchinson recorded the school’s second best all time in the decathlon.
Coaches were also honored for their achievements, with Kevin Hugley winning the South Coast Conference men’s assistant coach of the year.