When it comes to athletes and their accomplishments, it’s a remarkable feat to reach a milestone in their career that allows an athlete to be proud of their skills and strive to reach new heights.
According to Winthrop Athletics, senior exercise science major and Winthrop Men’s Track and Field athlete Colby Thorn was voted the Men’s Field Athlete of the Year by the Big South Conference for his efforts in the 2019 NCAA Track and Field East Preliminaries. One of his feats at the preliminaries was his personal best record of 7.48 cm in the long jump. Although he was voted the title long after the track and field season was finished, Thorn was honored to receive the award.
“I was actually very surprised when I received the award because I didn’t know about it until the middle of June, a few weeks after my season ended. I was very happy and honored to receive it,” Thorn said.
Thorn recalled the training the team went through, which started in September 2018 before the season began in spring 2019 and later ended in late May/early June.
“We train hard five days a week on the track and lift in the weight room three days a week. We focus on staying in shape as well as getting as fast and strong as possible,” Thorn said.
Raised in Warner Robins, Georgia and attending school in Macon, Thorn was drawn to track and field after trying out other sports and he made new friends as a part of the track team.
“In the 6th grade I had some friends that ran track and I figured I would try something new. I participated in track and field for two years then quit to focus on basketball, until eventually picking track back up my junior year,” said Thorn.
Upon coming to Winthrop University, Thorn was surprised not just at the athletic facilities that were provided, but with how close the student athletes were in training and the challenges it provided at meets.
“Winthrop is not a very big school, but all of our teams compete against some of the biggest schools in the nation. I feel we were like a family at Winthrop, where at a bigger school you may not know many people on the other teams,” Thorn said.
Another aspect that surprised Thorn about Winthrop University was how Winthrop Athletics encourages its student athletes to get involved with the local community in multiple ways.
“Winthrop Athletics has partnered with different organizations such as Samaritans Feet and Habitat for Humanity. On the track team we visit the elderly a few times each semester at the retirement home and hang out with them playing games and even pool volleyball,” Thorn said.
Colby Thorn jumps hurdles as he competes for track and field.
With the upcoming track and field season next semester, Thorn has a few personal goals that seek to push himself.
“My first goal is to make it to indoor nationals. To do that I have to be ranked in the top 16 long jumpers in the nation. My next goal is to make it to outdoor nationals in June in Austin, Texas. One really big goal that I have is to compete at the 2020 Olympic Trials in Oregon at the end of June. The top 3 finishers at that meet earn a spot on the 2020 USA Olympic Team,” Thorn said.
