HAMMOND – Three members of the Southeastern Louisiana track and field program will compete at the highest level this week at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
 
Senior Jonathan Kinchen, junior Alex Young and junior Misha Frazier will all compete in the hammer throw after qualifying last month at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East Preliminary Round in Jacksonville, Florida. SLU assistant coach Lucais Mackay, who is responsible for coaching the team's throwers on head coach Sean Brady's staff, is proud of his group's ability to break through among the nation's elite in a unique event.
 
"The hammer is a unique event," Mackay said. "To be successful, you must have a combination of power and technique. Alex, Jonathan and Misha all have different styles, but they're all going to Eugene because of their hard work and dedication to mastering the event."
 
The SLU trio has benefitted from the knowledge of Mackay, who was a national champion in the hammer throw at Georgia. Mackay believes that his experience as a student-athlete has greatly benefitted him coaching the Lion and Lady Lion throwers.
 
"I think it means more that they know I've been through the same things they have," Mackay commented. "When I see something they are doing wrong, I know what they're feeling."
 
Though Young, Kinchen and Frazier all qualified for Eugene in the same event, Mackay says all three have different skill sets.
 
"Alex came to us from Gardner Webb with an All-American pedigree," Mackay said. "He's such a quiet, nice guy outside of competition. He flips the switch when he steps in the ring and he's a beast of a competitor. I think he has an opportunity to have a special performance this week."
 
Young, the Southland Conference Outdoor Newcomer of the Year in his first year in Hammond, will look to continue his upward trend in the event. He had a personal best last month in Jacksonville.
 
"If I can PR again and make the finals, I'll be happy." Young said. "I'm comfortable in the bigger competitions, because when I see someone I'm competing against throw far that just pushes me to throw even further."
 
Kinchen, who comes from nearby Ponchatoula and was the Southland champion in the event, took a different road to his track success. As a freshman, he also was a standout defensive lineman for the Southeastern football team. And at the time, the hammer wasn't something he was interested in, as he was more polished in the discus.
 
"Jonathan has only been throwing the hammer for three years," Mackay said. "So every day, even as a senior, he continues to get better. He and Alex are totally different performers. Alex is more technically sound, but Jonathan's success is largely due to his pure power. I'm really proud of the work he has put in to blend his strength with his technique. Now that he's put it all together, he's really reaching his potential."
 
For his part, Kinchen is satisfied with his decisions to concentrate fully on track and give in to his coaches' desires for him to try the hammer throw.

"I wasn't sure whether I was going to stick with football or not, so the hammer looked like it was too technical and I wanted to stay with what I knew, which was the discus," Kinchen said. "I think I made the right decision to fully concentrate on track. Track has been very enjoyable for me. I like pushing myself to beat the standard I've set."
 
Frazier is the first SLU woman to advance to the NCAA Championships in nearly a decade. Mackay is quick to point out the attribute that has made the Lady Lion junior successful.
 
"Misha is just an all-around great athlete," Mackay commented. "In high school, in addition to track, she also was a great volleyball and basketball player. There's not a doubt in my mind that she could succeed on the Division I level in either of those sports. She's very self-motivated and a quick learner, which coupled with her next-level athleticism has led to her success."
 
Much like Kinchen, Frazier is pleased with her choice to concentrate on track as a collegian.
 
"I miss volleyball and basketball because of the team aspect, although you get some of that in track even though it's an individual competition," Frazier said. "But I definitely made the right choice. I love throwing."
 
Frazier, the Southland Conference outdoor champion in the shot put, was the standout female in a quintet of Southland champion throwers. Frazier enjoyed being a part of a group that included Young, Kinchen, league discus champion Brett Olsen and Southland javelin champion Derek Hampton, as well as javelin regional qualifier Collin Rowland.
 
"It's fun to be able to compete with them," Frazier said. "Alex and Jonathan are great training partners, because we can bounce things off of each other. They pick on me sometimes like I'm their little sister, but I like being the only girl out here with the guys."
 
In Jacksonville, Frazier competed in the second flight of three in the hammer throw. Having posted what Mackay described as, 'for her, a B-plus throw,' Frazier had to wait through a 30-minute warmup and the performances of the 16-member third flight. When she finally realized that she had cracked the top 12 necessary to advance, she searched out Mackay.
 
"That was the most nervous I've ever been," Frazier said. "Me and Brett (Olsen) just sat there and kept refreshing the live results and I kept watching my name drop. When it was finally over and I realized I was in, I didn't know what to do. Then I saw Coach Mackay and I just ran over and full-on tackled him and was just so happy."
 
Mackay was equally excited for his protégé.
 
"There were probably 12 to 15 people who were walking through the entrance at the time of that scene," Mackay said. "To see Misha that happy, I guarantee it made their day."
 
Young and Kinchen will compete on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. On Thursday, Frazier will compete at 3:30 p.m. Both events will be broadcast live on ESPN3.