From one has come many for Penn's track & field's throwing team

It’s hard out there for a thrower.

“We’re certainly not in the middle of Franklin Field. We never get the chance to compete in front of 50,000 people,” sophomore Sam Mattis said.

That’s an understatement.

Far from the middle of Franklin Field, the Quakers’ newly renovated throwing facility is an arduous walk down South St., tucked away between Penn’s soccer and baseball fields.

It is a fact of life for throwers that other track and field athletes — particularly runners — receive the majority of the time in the limelight, especially during the Penn Relays.

And just four years ago, to further compound the problem, it seemed that the limelight was doomed to permanently burn out on the program, as it seemed to be on the verge of extinction.

But things are getting better. Now, the program is looking stronger than ever, featuring several nationally ranked athletes and a deeper field than ever before.

So how exactly has the program pulled off such a dramatic turnaround?

In the beginning, there was one...

If throwers are normally the most secluded members of the track and field team, it must have been especially tough for current-senior Jake Brenza four years ago.

“When I came in, I was by myself,” he said.

To be more precise, as he noted, the throwing program consisted of only two athletes four years ago.

But instead of letting the situation get the best of him, he seized the opportunity to become the foundation for Penn’s throwing program, eventually becoming team captain.

“Jake’s a great captain and a great person, too. He works harder than anyone else I’ve ever seen. He’s always there helping us, kind of like a second coach,” Mattis said.

But Brenza is only one piece to the puzzle, and the program had a long way to go to get to where it is today.

Rebuilding the program

With 27 years of experience at Penn under his belt, throwing events coach Tony Tenisci has seen it all, and he is certainly no stranger to change.

Tenisci — who is credited with creating the women’s hammer throw in America — had Brenza as the foundation for his program and knew that is was time to start building the program up.

Over the past three years, Tenisci has found strength in numbers, increasing the total number of throwers from a mere two to its current total of 13.

“We are all close together. We all watch out for each other and make sure everyone’s doing well,” Brenza said. “It’s really nice knowing that everyone can stay together.

And as the team has grown, Tenisci’s goals have changed.

“Since I have recruited [the current throwers], I have always had great aspirations for them,” he said. “I recognized their talent.”

But the on-field results had not been immediate.

“I want them to be the very best they can be, and when they’re freshmen, that is very hard. It’s very different from high school,” Tenisci said.

As is common amongst rebuilding programs, Penn was brought down by inexperience. But all of that would change this outdoor season.

Rewriting the record books

This outdoor season, Penn’s throwers have delivered on the promise they have shown over the past couple of seasons.

Sophomores Mattis and Kelsey Hay have recorded new school records in the men’s discus and women’s javelin, respectively.

Mattis and Hay may have stood out as individuals, but each throw has been a total team effort.

“It’s a big accomplishment for me, and for my teammates too,” Hay said. “They’ve pushed me this whole season, with Lisa [Sesink-Clee] and Serena [Graf] around me.

“Having [the upperclassmen] around for support has been really nice, and the underclassmen have been able to push me.”

Tensisci largely attributes his athletes’ newfound success to increased experience.

“What you have here is a very mature group of athletes,” he said. "They have worked very hard to achieve their goals, and they are on track.”

The Penn Relays and beyond

With its emergence this year, the throwing program has abandoned any old insecurities.

“We know we’re one of the best groups on the team, and we know we can make an influence,” Brenza said.

So where does the program go from here?

“Everyone on the team just wants to keep improving,” Mattis said. “We all have our own individual goals, and obviously that’s to throw farther and to our potential.”

But it just isn’t that simple.

Going into the Penn Relays, the Penn throwing program may be entering one of the most exciting periods of its existence.

Mattis, Brenza and Hay will all compete in the championship divisions in their events, a division in which only the top 12 in each event qualify.

“To have three representatives in that standard is very hard to do for any school,” Tenisci said. “They want to be good, and that’s something that can’t be coached.”

“It’s a huge honor for me,” Brenza added. “I’ve always wanted to get there, and it just means a lot to me.”

To add to the significance of the meet, schools will compete on Penn’s brand new throwing facility.

“It brings a whole different vibe to the throwing area. We have fans right on top of us,” Hay said. “Having the hype around the throwing facility will hopefully bring some of the fans over to the throws.”

But Tenisci knows that becoming great is a process that takes time, and he is not about to let the expectations that come along with the hype of the meet get the best of him.

“I don’t like the word ‘expectation,’” he said. “‘Anticipation,’ I think, is more appropriate.”

Tenisci should have ample patience with which to handle the situation and enjoy his throwers’ current era of success.

After all, it has been four years in the making.

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