University of Minnesota Athletics
Exceeding Expectations: Sophomore Karl Erickson
4/30/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
In 2003, sophomore Karl Erickson has picked up right where he left off after that sensational rookie season.
Erickson broke his previous best mark with a 189-foot discus toss at Northern Iowa Twilight Open in the midst of torrential wind and rain. It was a mark good enough to be an NCAA regional qualifier. Though the discus is his favorite event, it was in the shot put that Erickson earned his very first All-America honor. He placed fifth at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships with a throw of 63-7. However, this could have been the season that never was.
In October, Erickson suffered a broken foot while jogging. In fact, Erickson had been training with a stress fracture on the long bone of his foot the entire fall. Yet, after three months of rehabilitation and healing, Erickson came back to compete in the indoor season. A feat no one expected.
"We were obviously surprised of how well Karl performed in the indoor season because his broken foot caused him to miss so much training time," said Assistant Track and Field Coach Mario Sategna. "He bounced back from the injury and had a phenomenal season. He started off great in the outdoor season with his bread and butter event, the discus, and had a personal-best throw."
Clearly, Erickson's off-season commitment to his training played an enormous role in his prompt recovery. According to Sategna, Erickson is disciplined in not only his weight lifting and training routines, but in his diet and competition preparation as well -- a combination that has paid huge dividends.
In the NCAA, Erickson currently ranks seventh in the shot put and 16th in discus for the outdoor season. In the Big Ten, he is first in the discus and second in the shot put. He has captured first place three times in the discus and two times in the shot put already this season.
Don't be fooled. Erickson isn't satisfied at stopping there.
"In season we don't lift as hard, but in the summer I lifted three times a day," said Erickson. "We work on squats, bench press and other Olympic lifts. I always try to work as hard as I can to get stronger."
A native of Zumbro Falls, Minn. Erickson was a three-sport athlete at Rochester Century High School. He gathered a batch of prep honors including four state titles in the discus and shot put. However, Erickson admits high school track is a world away from Minnesota.
"Throwing for the 'U of M' is a lot different than high school," said Erickson. "The weights are heavier, the competition is better and you travel a lot more. I gained confidence in high school competing at the state level but at the Division I level, everyone is so much better all around."
So what drew Erickson to the 'U'?
"I chose the University of Minnesota because it is so close to home," said Erickson. "I am close with my family and I can go home if I want because Rochester is not too far away. Both Coach (Phil) Lundin and Coach Satagna visited me in high school and they invested a lot of time in me. They have helped me improve in my throwing from a technical standpoint. They have taught me so much and I was impressed by their dedication. Now I am much more technically sound and I throw much differently now than I did in high school."
Erickson is majoring in kinesiology and plans to pursue a career as a strength and conditioning coach at a college or university. However, he also plans to continue training to pursue competition after his career at Minnesota.
For now, that must wait. The 2003 Men's and Women's Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be hosted by the University of Minnesota May 16-18. It's another event for Erickson to exceed expectations.
"We are excited to host the Big Ten Championships," said Erickson. "Our team has had the chance to win the Big Ten twice but got edged by Wisconsin both times. We really want to show what we can do and take the Big Ten title. The crowd will be right behind us and it will be a great atmosphere."
-UM-
Written by University of Minnesota Media Relations Assistant Timothy Ellis He won a Big Ten title in the discus. He was named to the All-Big Ten team, and that was as a freshman.
In 2003, sophomore Karl Erickson has picked up right where he left off after that sensational rookie season.
Erickson broke his previous best mark with a 189-foot discus toss at Northern Iowa Twilight Open in the midst of torrential wind and rain. It was a mark good enough to be an NCAA regional qualifier. Though the discus is his favorite event, it was in the shot put that Erickson earned his very first All-America honor. He placed fifth at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships with a throw of 63-7. However, this could have been the season that never was.
In October, Erickson suffered a broken foot while jogging. In fact, Erickson had been training with a stress fracture on the long bone of his foot the entire fall. Yet, after three months of rehabilitation and healing, Erickson came back to compete in the indoor season. A feat no one expected.
"We were obviously surprised of how well Karl performed in the indoor season because his broken foot caused him to miss so much training time," said Assistant Track and Field Coach Mario Sategna. "He bounced back from the injury and had a phenomenal season. He started off great in the outdoor season with his bread and butter event, the discus, and had a personal-best throw."
Clearly, Erickson's off-season commitment to his training played an enormous role in his prompt recovery. According to Sategna, Erickson is disciplined in not only his weight lifting and training routines, but in his diet and competition preparation as well -- a combination that has paid huge dividends.
In the NCAA, Erickson currently ranks seventh in the shot put and 16th in discus for the outdoor season. In the Big Ten, he is first in the discus and second in the shot put. He has captured first place three times in the discus and two times in the shot put already this season.
Don't be fooled. Erickson isn't satisfied at stopping there.
"In season we don't lift as hard, but in the summer I lifted three times a day," said Erickson. "We work on squats, bench press and other Olympic lifts. I always try to work as hard as I can to get stronger."
A native of Zumbro Falls, Minn. Erickson was a three-sport athlete at Rochester Century High School. He gathered a batch of prep honors including four state titles in the discus and shot put. However, Erickson admits high school track is a world away from Minnesota.
"Throwing for the 'U of M' is a lot different than high school," said Erickson. "The weights are heavier, the competition is better and you travel a lot more. I gained confidence in high school competing at the state level but at the Division I level, everyone is so much better all around."
So what drew Erickson to the 'U'?
"I chose the University of Minnesota because it is so close to home," said Erickson. "I am close with my family and I can go home if I want because Rochester is not too far away. Both Coach (Phil) Lundin and Coach Satagna visited me in high school and they invested a lot of time in me. They have helped me improve in my throwing from a technical standpoint. They have taught me so much and I was impressed by their dedication. Now I am much more technically sound and I throw much differently now than I did in high school."
Erickson is majoring in kinesiology and plans to pursue a career as a strength and conditioning coach at a college or university. However, he also plans to continue training to pursue competition after his career at Minnesota.
For now, that must wait. The 2003 Men's and Women's Big Ten Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be hosted by the University of Minnesota May 16-18. It's another event for Erickson to exceed expectations.
"We are excited to host the Big Ten Championships," said Erickson. "Our team has had the chance to win the Big Ten twice but got edged by Wisconsin both times. We really want to show what we can do and take the Big Ten title. The crowd will be right behind us and it will be a great atmosphere."
-UM-
Written by University of Minnesota Media Relations Assistant Timothy Ellis
