Salute To Seniors: Ryan Long

Ryan's Athlete Profile

 

What was your most memorable race/competition?
 

I have to say the 2014  4A  State Meet. I actually was not throwing well at first and somewhere out of nowhere I threw a 155’6’ in discus which was my first time over 150 feet. I actually looked over to my coach at first disgusted because I had thought it was a bad throw and then the judge announced it and I couldn’t believe it. I met 2 goals with one throw: Break 150’ and break my dad’s record of 150’. It was also great that my private coach for 7 years along with my parents were there to watch also.  I took 3rd at the state meet too, which I never dreamed I would do.


Where did you face your biggest competition? or What was your favorite meet and why?
 

Being that I was in the Capital District until the change, there was always huge throwing competition around at any of the Capital District meets. With the change to 4A there was also a lot of competition but of course any meet that you are throwing against Zajac is big competition. I will say that the biggest competition I came up against though was as a 12 year old at the AAU Nationals in Michigan. I had to throw as a 13 yr old and when we got there some of the boys were as tall and as big as my dad who is 6’6”. One even had a goatee. I had to throw against Grant Hill who graduated last year with a throw over 200 feet and was one of the top picks for football in the USA. He is at the University of Alabama now.

My favorite but most sad meet was at the 4A/5A Conference meet at Atlee. It was the last meet that many of us were going to be competing at the same place and most of us had competed against each other for 6 or 7 years if you include middle school.

 


If you could, what would you do differently with your high school running career?
 

Probably I would lift more than I did. I sort of played down lifting and made any excuse not to lift. I guess in 11th grade my high school coach took the reins and did not give me a choice. That is when I really started to improve in throwing.


Out of all of your high school accomplishments, which stands out the most?
 

I was able to PR in both shot and disc 4 weekends in a row at the end of my senior year and throw over 150 feet at my last state meet. My year started off slow but Coach Bayuk kept telling my parents and I that the distance would come when it counted in May and June. I guess he knew what he was talking about.


 

 

What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?

One of the biggest obstacles was in winter track at my school because I was sometimes the only thrower and we did not have a throws coach in the winter. Hard to just go out and throw alone off where no one else is at and continue to train every day.



What was your most difficult workout?
 

My most difficult workouts were with Coach Just in the spring. He was also the football coach for Hanover and he worked us hard especially since most of the team (not me) was a football player also. Those hills we ran were something.


What will you miss the most?
 

The track meets with friends from all over Virginia and the United States. I not only competed in school but also in AAU and USATF. I have friends that are all over the U.S. that I connect with on social media a lot.


How have your coaches influenced your performances and your life goals?
 

Coach Arco was my middle school coach who actually took me on the team in 6th grade. He had never taken a 6th grader before me. He still keeps up with me and emails me with encouraging words and actually comes out to my meets.

Coach Bayuk has been my private coach since 6th grade. He and his wife and 4 kids are like family to me and my parents. He encourages me with inspiring words by email, phone, and in person. He not only has helped with coaching but also in the college selection process and he didn’t just consider me as an athlete but also a student.

 Coach Just was my high school throws coach for 3 years. We did not hit it off very well at the start, but as we started working together, that went away very quick. He always knew what was best for me as a thrower and what I needed as a thrower. Even when he became A.D, he promised I would have a throws coach my senior year and he did come through for me, with getting my private coach to coach the team.

 

 


What are your plans for college?

I am attending Christopher Newport in the fall to study Computer Engineering. I will also be on the throws team there.


What is your advice for an incoming freshman running/competing in the same events as you did?

Start lifting now, and practice through the off season. Remember that it is not always the biggest person who is the best thrower. In the beginning weight means a lot but the strongest and fastest are usually your best throwers. Even though you can’t throw the hammer, weight and javelin at Virginia High School meets, you can in AAU and USATF. The more events that you have at least learned, the better you look to colleges when it is time to apply.

Shout Outs? 

Connor Scott (LD Class of 2017) and Michael Warren (Midlothian Class of 2015): Good Luck Next Year!

Coach Carol Hutchings: Thanks for teaching me drills on hammer and Good Luck Next Year with your new job at Hermitage!

My Dad: He is the one who got me to throw the first time while at the football field waiting on my mom at a meeting in the dark. Without that, I wouldn’t be where I am today.