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Sports Fischer finds success in Union, Phillips sets school mark
Fischer finds success in Union, Phillips sets school mark
 FAST FISCHER: Outlaws Matt Fischer won the 110-meter high hurdles and the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in Union Thursday. The Observer/BRUCE MASON thumping on asphalt did, too. Matt Fischer was rounding the corner, approaching the straight-away, approaching that rigorous point where adrenaline, guts and grit were needed — needed for victory. This Enterprise junior was ahead of the pack but in danger of being caught, and here he was, digging deep inside, using that 6-foot-4 powerful frame to his advantage. Sprint. Stutter step. Jump. Over the hurdle. Sprint. Stutter step. Jump. Over another. And soon enough, there was Fischer, crossing the finish line in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles race, ahead of Union senior Cory Bennett, ahead of everyone, in first place. Again. “I was just tickled pink for him,” Enterprise assistant coach Kevin McCadden said. “He should be excited about the successes he had today.” Fischer finished first in the 110-high hurdles, as well. But his 300-hurdles victory was more impressive for two reasons: it was his first lifetime attempt, and it was his first time running it on asphalt, too. Enterprise does not have a practice facility like Union High, so gravel and dirt is the Outlaws’ running surface — or even grass, if needed. It makes footing entirely different. It makes timing and stride length a variable, too. Fischer, however, offset all that with his flexibility, agility, speed and power — “characteristics of a good hurdler,” McCadden says — and it translated into his first-place finishes Thursday. That and encouraging words from his assistant coach as he came down the stretch. McCadden yelled. Fischer listened. And soon enough, he was panting and heaving and thinking about another first-place finish. Oh. Fischer heard Bennett’s footsteps and lungs heaving behind him, too. “I was kind of hoping for (Bennett) to catch me. That way I could run faster,” Fischer said. “If I see him next to me, that means (he) caught me, and I need to run faster. It’s an adrenaline kick. “I hit the straight and I said, ‘I have power left, I might as well use it.’”
Phillips sets school recordUNION — What does a javelin and Shawna Philips have in common? Long tosses, of course. And now, history. The Union senior threw the javelin 119 feet, 7 inches Thursday, breaking a record set by Nancy Mitchell (114 feet) in 1977. “It was awesome,” Union coach Brad Dunten said. “She just started throwing the javelin halfway through the season last year.” Through hard work in practice, though, Philips has mastered the footwork and hip technique essential to performing this event properly. Approach. Plant. Throw. They’re three main processes involved with a solid javelin toss — a special, difficult technique, Dunten said. “A lot of people think it’s upper body,” Dunten said. “A lot of people use their arms. (But) it’s more of the hips, less of the arm.” Not many can do it well. But Philips can — and she can make history doing it, too. “I’m just hopeful she can throw again that way,” Dunten said. “I’m pretty sure she can.”
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