Road to NBNI Blogs: Lena Giger, Week 1

by Lena Giger

Hi, my name is Lena Giger and I’m a senior at Highland High School in Highland, Illinois.  Before I go any farther, I would like to thank NSAF for the opportunity to compete at some incredible meets and also being able to write about my training. 

As for my beginnings, I first threw the shot put competitively eight years ago.  My dad, who doubles as my coach, has been a lifelong fan of track and field and he is one of the key reasons I am where I am today.  When I was younger, he coached our high school track team, which first introduced me to the great sport.  There are two reasons I became a thrower; they are both the results of the influence of my parents.  The first is that I’m definitely not a runner, but certainly not due to my dad’s lack of trying.  On the other hand, my mom’s emphasis was on my safety, which ultimately led to throwing.  When I went to my dad’s track practices after school, I had free range of the track, but not beyond the fence; beyond the fence were the throwers.  Like many kids, I always wanted to go where I couldn’t and since my mom was worried I would get hurt while watching the thrower’s practice, I became one! 

Fast-forward several years and now I’m here!  I ended my junior season with a shot put personal best of 48’ 10.75”.   As for the here and now, my indoor season is off to a pretty good start.  This season, I started throwing consistently after the New Year, combined with some lifting beginning in January.  Lately, training space has been a bit difficult to come by due to the cold weather and booked gyms.  When I am able to train indoors, it isn’t always under the best conditions.  I throw on the gym floor without a toe board, which oftentimes makes it difficult to change technique, and I usually practice between 9-10 p.m. because of the booked facilities.  In any case, I make do with what I have and it seems to have worked! 

As for my competitive season, I’ve competed in three indoor meets so far this year, in which I’ve hit over 48 feet twice.  The first two meets were part of a series at the University of Missouri and the third was at The Simplot Games.  I have a few more indoor meets scheduled this season, including New Balance Indoor Nationals in New York City! 

Last weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to compete at the Simplot meet I mentioned in Pocatello, Idaho.  I didn’t compete as well as I had hoped, but overall the meet was a great experience.  I performed better on Friday during the qualification rounds, which unfortunately weren’t measured.  My Saturday performance was pretty disappointing, but I’ve already looked at the film, and have begun to fix a few things. 

As a spinner, small technical changes can drastically affect the distance of each throw.  Since I’ve this is only my second season as a spinner, I’m still changing multiple things and figuring out what works best.  Although I could have competed better, I couldn’t have had better front row seats to the great competition between two of the best seniors, Stamatia Scarvelis and Ashlie Blake. They both had an amazing meet, and I look forward to competing against them in New York. 

Besides my competition, the entire meet was an amazing experience.  There was the feel of excitement and greatness rushing through the arena with all of the talent there.  Thank you, NSAF, for the invitation; it was one of the neatest meets I’ve ever competed at!

This season I’m hoping to make some huge advances in my throws.  My main goals include breaking the 50-foot mark in the shot put, setting the Illinois state record in the shot put, and most importantly, competing well at the USATF Junior Nationals.  Last summer, I had the good fortune of competing for Team USA at the World Youth Championships, and I have hopes of representing the United States again this summer at the World Junior Championships.

This coming fall, I will attend Stanford University (Fear the Tree!) and I cannot wait until that begins!  But before I head off to college, I have a lot of work ahead of me, both in the classroom and in the circle, and I’m looking forward to all the excitement this year will bring!

Note: Since this writing, Lena has thrown 49'9"!  We look forward to hearing about that next week!


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