Athlete Spotlight
Robin Jacobs is into heavy metal in more ways than one.
His musical tastes include the bands Metallica, Disturbed and Godsmack, and when the Evans High School senior competes for the Knights in track and field, Jacobs shows his mettle with a 12-pound sphere and a man-sized Frisbee.
Jacobs is a standout in the shotput and discus events for Evans, where his field exploits often are overshadowed by the more glamourous track stars.
"When I tell people at school that I throw a 12-pound shot 50 feet, it gets some recognition, but you don't get much recognition for shotput," he said. "When you tell someone you can run a four-second 40, everyone is impressed."
At 6-foot-3 and 275 pounds, speed isn't his thing. Jacobs is into power, and he says size doesn't matter.
"Throwing a shot or discus is mostly technique," he said.
Jacobs has mastered his moves with a combination of brains and brawn. He works hard in the weight room, but he also studies video of world-class throwers, and tapes his own practices to spot flaws in his form.
"We bring science into shotput and discus all the time," Jacobs said. "Angle of release, trajectory, inertia, extension, wrist flip - it all comes from our science techniques."
Being a student of the sport isn't the only reason Jacobs is at the head of the class among prep throwers in Columbia County this season.
Jacobs is driven to be the best, and he steps into the throwing ring with a single purpose in mind.
"I go into every event ready to win, never look at an opponent's distance, never look at who's ahead of me," Jacobs said. "I just go in knowing that I'm going to do well, and plan on getting a personal record every meet. Things usually work out for me."
Jacobs has been dominant against local competition this spring, and recently recorded a personal-best discus throw of 136 feet. He has yet to match his personal record in shot from last season (52 feet, 11 inches), but he's working on it.
After completing his senior season in football, he began focusing on the shot. Jacobs placed second at the region meet last year in that event, and he knows a region title and a strong showing at the state championships could help him secure a college scholarship.
"This is my last chance to get into state, and there's extra motivation in knowing that this could help me with my college education," he said. "I've got a good chance of getting into the state finals this year. That pushes me to do better in shot and discus."