Senior Mitchell Pope broke a 30-year-old school record in shot put, at the UNC Fast Times track and field meet in Chapel Hill during the last weekend in January. Two weeks later in Chapel Hill, Pope broke his own record, setting a new one at 64’8.75.”
Those two meets, Pope said, are the highlights of his time at N.C. State, but he hopes the best is still ahead.
“He improves continually and steadily,” coach Tom Wood said. “He’s had good consistency.”
Pope said he aims to keep improving this year, making it to the top of the ACC and winning nationals, although he doesn’t want to stop there.
“I want to get far enough so I can get a shoe contract, so I can keep doing this,” Pope said, “because I love it too much to quit.”
For Pope, “not quitting” means competing internationally.
“I want to be one of the best in the U.S., possibly ranked pretty high in the world,” Pope said. “Usually U.S. shot-putters are ranked number one or number two in the world. I can see myself maybe on the Olympic team, possibly winning the Olympics if I can keep my focus, keep getting stronger.”
Wood said the Olympics are definitely a possibility for Pope.
“If there’s a man in America, it’s him,” Wood said. “He’s got the body. He’s one of them. I can’t predict what will happen, but he’s talented enough to give it a try.”
For Pope, the key to getting to a higher level of competition is his physical strength. Training means spending quality time in the weight room.
“That’s the only thing that’s holding me back now,” Pope said. “Some of the really good ones are in another strength level above me. So I think if I can get to their level, with my technique, I can really be up there competing with them, if not better.”
To get where he wants to be, Pope sets six-month weight goals — numbers matter as he sets the bar higher and higher.
“My goal was about 405 [pounds] on the bench press, but I had to bump it up cause I made a big jump in that,” Pope said. “I’m shooting for around 450 [pounds], closer to 500 [pounds] by the end of the year. I’ve set a 700 pound squat because I just got 605 [pounds], which was my goal early, and I already got that. So I’ve just been working on getting more explosive.”
Wood is looking for progress in specific aspects of Pope’s technique.
“We’ve been working on his posture and his tempo– and if that means anything to you, you must be a coach,” Wood said. “But we’ve been working on his actual throw, and he’s a lot stronger. That’s been a key factor.”
Pope said his coach has helped him by “leaving him alone” and letting him develop as an individual rather than forcing him to learn to throw a certain way.
“My coach has given me some good fundamentals and let me go with what I do, because my technique’s a little different from what some people do,” Pope said. “But he’s found ways to keep me with good solid fundamentals.”
“My technique just kind of happened. I did what I felt comfortable. My coach didn’t really force me to do the standard, low-leg kick.”
If he had made other choices along the way, Pope said, things might not have turned out as they are now.
“The other school I was thinking about before I came here was Carolina, and that coach is real strict,” Pope said. “All of his throwers look a lot alike. I just don’t think I would have been as comfortable. I’ve been really comfortable here.”
While the Olympics and, more immediately, ACC’s and nationals are still ahead, Pope focuses on one improvement at a time. Pope said he expects to get better with each throw.
“I try not to think about throwing big, try not to think about too much,” Pope said. “The whole week at practice I try to focus on one key, and then that key’s in my mind as soon as I step in for the competition. Last week I focused on just getting my left arm in the right position, and the rest of the turn came through. Usually if I do that, I’m pretty confident.”
While Pope is now working toward becoming an Olympic-caliber challenger, he wasn’t always as driven.
“I really wish I would have got focused earlier,” Pope said. “I wish I would have got stronger earlier cause I’m rushing to do it all now before my season is over.”
An effort that has resulted in setting new school records and a high ranking in the NCAA is a recent development.
“About mid-season last year, when I started throwing farther, I started seeing that it’s possible now,” Pope said. “I really got focused last year, because my first couple of years I was doing it just to do it. But now I’m starting to really focus and see it’s a good possibility, so it’s time to really buckle down.”
In addition to the shot put, Pope competes in the weight throw; the weight throw, however, is second to shot put.
“Weight has been different because it’s been on the side burner,” Pope said. “I haven’t really been worried about it, but since ACC’s are coming up, I’m really starting to focus on it and get more things right on it. But I can’t really think about too much in the weight. It’s just wherever it goes.”
It’s in shot put that Pope breaks records and aims to compete after graduation. Breaking the school record and then breaking it again, Pope said, is only the beginning.
“I’m kind of glad I got it out of the way early so I’m not scrambling, trying to get it in at the end,” Pope said. “I still think I’ve got more left, so maybe I can break it a couple more times before outdoor starts and then go after the other one.
“It was kind of like a sub-goal, one of the many goals that I set this year. Win at nationals – that’s the number one [goal]. I’m now trying to go after the ACC record, since I got really close to it, and just trying to throw as far as possible before the season is over.”