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/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography 2019
Keyzers Shines in Debut Season
3/14/2019 4:06:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Redshirt freshman Tess Keyzers had a breakout indoor season for the Maroon & Gold, ending with a B1G runner-up finish.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Throws coach Peter Miller wasn't necessarily surprised at the success Tess Keyzers attained in her first season competing in uniform for the Golden Gopher track & field team this winter, but he acknowledged that her success has come a little quicker than he anticipated.
As a redshirt freshman for the Maroon & Gold, Keyzers ended the indoor season ranked among Minnesota's all-time top-10 performers in both weight throw and shot put.
"Tess is a pretty special person and athlete, so to see her compete at such a high level and succeed at that is amazing," Miller said. "She's a great competitor for her age, especially with her confidence at meets. She's a great competitor, a great teammate, and we are excited to see where she goes in the future."
Keyzers moved into eighth on Minnesota's all-time performers list in weight throw in just her second meet of the season. She recorded three career-best marks in weight throw over the course of the indoor season, improving her career best by over eight feet and climbing from eighth to seventh before moving into fourth in program history with a throw of 21.27 meters (69-09.50) and a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championship.
Likewise, Keyzers saw significant success in shot put during the 2019 indoor season. She posted a PR of nearly two feet in her second meet of the season with a toss of 15.10 meters (49-06.50) at the Graduate Classic before extending her all-time best to 15.24 meters (50-00.00) at the Jack Johnson Classic and then improving by another six inches with a throw of 15.40 meters (50-06.25) at the Power Five Invite -- good for fourth place at the meet and 10th in Minnesota history.
Keyzers' career as a Gopher began during the 2017-18 season when she competed unattached and spent her first year on campus as a redshirt. The Little Chute, Wis., native wrapped up the 2018 indoor season with season-best marks of 14.50 meters (47-07.00) in shot put and 18.73 meters (61-05.50) in weight throw.
"The redshirt season was very helpful," Keyzers said. "It gave me a year to get acclimated to college and the academic aspect of it, while training at the same time. I learned how to manage my time really well."
Keyzers finally made her debut competing in uniform for the Maroon & Gold in November 2018 when she placed sixth in weight throw and eighth in shot put at the SDSU Holiday Invite.
"I didn't know what to expect, but it was really fun and it was a good opportunity to get closer with a lot of the girls on the team," Keyzers said of her first road meet. "We went to South Dakota State for my first travel meet, which was a good one because it wasn't necessarily 'high-stakes,' but I was still nervous. We only brought the redshirt freshmen, so we all had the same 'first' experience together, which was nice. Having a couple of travel meets now under my belt, it's helped me not get as nervous."
Along with easing into competition and having an extra year to adjust to her college courses and training regime, Keyzers credits her teammates for aiding in her success this season.
"It was nice to have Erin Dunning with me my redshirt season because we were able to push each other to get better every day at the smaller meets and at practices and feed off of each other's energy," Keyzers explained.
"I'd have to attribute a lot of my success to the older throwers in the program," Keyzers continued. "It's been really helpful to look up to them and see how they act. They are there to calm you down if you freak out and they let you know what to expect."
Having Big Ten veterans like Temi Ogunrinde, Kiley Sabin, and Shay Nielsen competing by her side certainly boosted Keyzers' confidence heading into her first Big Ten Championship this winter, but her talent and competitiveness allowed her to hold her own in arguably the nation's deepest throwing conference.
"I'm a very competitive person," Keyzers said. "I need to remember to clear my mind and stay composed at competition when I'm throwing. It helps me remember why I'm here and what I'm here to do.
"This season I'm trying to improve on my confidence. As soon as I get down on myself, everything else seems to follow. In throwing, you need to be confident in your training and use that to throw."
In her Big Ten debut, Keyzers was one of Minnesota's top performers. She recorded a career-best throw of 21.27 meters (69-09.50) to place second in weight throw and posted a 13th-place finish in shot put (14.90 meters, 48-10.75) at the Big Ten Indoor Championship.
"This is just the beginning for her," Miller said. "She's learning but she is having so much success already, so the sky is the limit for her. There is a lot more for her to grow into, and I know she has it in her to work up towards that.
"She does a great job at handling herself under pressure, under adversity, and in new things. She's very emotionally mature, so I know that she's able to keep her composure under high-pressure and in high-stress situations."
Despite her impressive performance in her debut season, during which she ended the year ranked 18th in the nation and was the second-ranked freshman in weight throw, Keyzers remains hungry for more.
"I have goals for the future, like going to national meets," Keyzers said, having fulfilling one of her goals (placing at Big Tens) for the first time this season. "I am working up to them every day through PR-ing and staying consistent.
"I'm most excited to continue to PR. That means that you are throwing the absolute best you can in that moment in time, so if I'm able to do that and get better at every meet, then I know I'm doing something right and getting better in my training."
Keyzers has another season of firsts ahead of her as the Gophers turn their attention toward the outdoor season where she will continue to compete in shot put but transition from weight throw to hammer throw.
"Our program has very high standards, so we're helping her to be the best she can be with whatever we can do to support her and her success," Miller said. "Tess has the ability to be world class, so I'm excited to see where she goes from here."
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As a redshirt freshman for the Maroon & Gold, Keyzers ended the indoor season ranked among Minnesota's all-time top-10 performers in both weight throw and shot put.
"Tess is a pretty special person and athlete, so to see her compete at such a high level and succeed at that is amazing," Miller said. "She's a great competitor for her age, especially with her confidence at meets. She's a great competitor, a great teammate, and we are excited to see where she goes in the future."
Keyzers moved into eighth on Minnesota's all-time performers list in weight throw in just her second meet of the season. She recorded three career-best marks in weight throw over the course of the indoor season, improving her career best by over eight feet and climbing from eighth to seventh before moving into fourth in program history with a throw of 21.27 meters (69-09.50) and a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championship.
Likewise, Keyzers saw significant success in shot put during the 2019 indoor season. She posted a PR of nearly two feet in her second meet of the season with a toss of 15.10 meters (49-06.50) at the Graduate Classic before extending her all-time best to 15.24 meters (50-00.00) at the Jack Johnson Classic and then improving by another six inches with a throw of 15.40 meters (50-06.25) at the Power Five Invite -- good for fourth place at the meet and 10th in Minnesota history.
Keyzers' career as a Gopher began during the 2017-18 season when she competed unattached and spent her first year on campus as a redshirt. The Little Chute, Wis., native wrapped up the 2018 indoor season with season-best marks of 14.50 meters (47-07.00) in shot put and 18.73 meters (61-05.50) in weight throw.
"The redshirt season was very helpful," Keyzers said. "It gave me a year to get acclimated to college and the academic aspect of it, while training at the same time. I learned how to manage my time really well."
Keyzers finally made her debut competing in uniform for the Maroon & Gold in November 2018 when she placed sixth in weight throw and eighth in shot put at the SDSU Holiday Invite.
"I didn't know what to expect, but it was really fun and it was a good opportunity to get closer with a lot of the girls on the team," Keyzers said of her first road meet. "We went to South Dakota State for my first travel meet, which was a good one because it wasn't necessarily 'high-stakes,' but I was still nervous. We only brought the redshirt freshmen, so we all had the same 'first' experience together, which was nice. Having a couple of travel meets now under my belt, it's helped me not get as nervous."
Along with easing into competition and having an extra year to adjust to her college courses and training regime, Keyzers credits her teammates for aiding in her success this season.
"It was nice to have Erin Dunning with me my redshirt season because we were able to push each other to get better every day at the smaller meets and at practices and feed off of each other's energy," Keyzers explained.
"I'd have to attribute a lot of my success to the older throwers in the program," Keyzers continued. "It's been really helpful to look up to them and see how they act. They are there to calm you down if you freak out and they let you know what to expect."
Having Big Ten veterans like Temi Ogunrinde, Kiley Sabin, and Shay Nielsen competing by her side certainly boosted Keyzers' confidence heading into her first Big Ten Championship this winter, but her talent and competitiveness allowed her to hold her own in arguably the nation's deepest throwing conference.
"I'm a very competitive person," Keyzers said. "I need to remember to clear my mind and stay composed at competition when I'm throwing. It helps me remember why I'm here and what I'm here to do.
"This season I'm trying to improve on my confidence. As soon as I get down on myself, everything else seems to follow. In throwing, you need to be confident in your training and use that to throw."
In her Big Ten debut, Keyzers was one of Minnesota's top performers. She recorded a career-best throw of 21.27 meters (69-09.50) to place second in weight throw and posted a 13th-place finish in shot put (14.90 meters, 48-10.75) at the Big Ten Indoor Championship.
"This is just the beginning for her," Miller said. "She's learning but she is having so much success already, so the sky is the limit for her. There is a lot more for her to grow into, and I know she has it in her to work up towards that.
"She does a great job at handling herself under pressure, under adversity, and in new things. She's very emotionally mature, so I know that she's able to keep her composure under high-pressure and in high-stress situations."
Despite her impressive performance in her debut season, during which she ended the year ranked 18th in the nation and was the second-ranked freshman in weight throw, Keyzers remains hungry for more.
"I have goals for the future, like going to national meets," Keyzers said, having fulfilling one of her goals (placing at Big Tens) for the first time this season. "I am working up to them every day through PR-ing and staying consistent.
"I'm most excited to continue to PR. That means that you are throwing the absolute best you can in that moment in time, so if I'm able to do that and get better at every meet, then I know I'm doing something right and getting better in my training."
Keyzers has another season of firsts ahead of her as the Gophers turn their attention toward the outdoor season where she will continue to compete in shot put but transition from weight throw to hammer throw.
"Our program has very high standards, so we're helping her to be the best she can be with whatever we can do to support her and her success," Miller said. "Tess has the ability to be world class, so I'm excited to see where she goes from here."
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