Assistant coach Renetta Seiler inspires throwers to succeed
April 16, 2003
Nearing the end of a record-shattering season for the women’s throwing program, student athletes owe much of their success to first-year coach Renetta Seiler, whose vast athletic experience and enthusiasm has helped bolster their performance.
“Obviously we’re very excited about having her here,” said women’s track head coach Amy Deem. “She has great enthusiasm and she’s a great role model being a thrower herself. She has really given them an opportunity to succeed.”
And succeed they have. During the indoor season, both senior Adrienne Moss and junior Jennifer Penrose took turns shattering Miami’s three-year-old shot put mark of 14.56m (47-09.25). Moss holds the current Miami record, having finished first in the event last March in Notre Dame, with a mark of 15.89m (52-01.75). Moss is now ranked 14th in the nation in women’s shot put, and Penrose is ranked 16th.
“The University of Miami had never won the BIG EAST Indoor Championship before, and our biggest goal coming in this year was to win our first ever,” Seiler said. “And we did. Our throwers scored twice as many points as we ever scored before.”
Senior Megan Cobb topped her career bests in both the indoor weight throw and outdoor hammer events. In the indoor weight throw, she gained a mark of 16.24m (53-03.50) compared to last year’s 15.17m (49-09.25). Last March, she topped the 48.13m (157-11) Miami record she set last year twice in one week, first with 48.48m (159-1), then 48.76m (160).
Also in the outdoor season, Adrienne Moss set a new Miami record with a hammer mark of 50.80m (166-8). She also set the Miami record in outdoor shot put, with a mark of 15.88m (52-01.25), topping her 2000 career best of 14.60m. Penrose also topped her freshman career best of 15.17m (49-09.25) as she finished 1st in the outdoor shot put event last March with a mark of 15.79m (51-09.75).
“She’s still young enough to understand where we’re coming from, and she understands what we go through and can see both sides of it,” Cobb said. ” She brings a lot of experience to our training.”
Seiler’s experience as a college athlete has been key in showing the throwers the necessary techniques to improve their performance. As a student-athlete at Kansas State from 1996-99, Seiler was a six-time All-American and seven-time conference champion in the weight throw, hammer and discus. She was arguable the most dominant thrower in the Big 12 during her time at Kansas State. She won three consecutive Big 12 titles in the indoor weight throw, winning the conference title in 1997, 1998 and 1999. As a senior in 1999, she took home both the discus (171-8) and hammer throw (204-7) titles at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships.
She earned All-America honors in the hammer three times finishing fifth in 1997 and 1998, and third in 1999. Seiler was also a three-time All-American in the weight throw finishing fifth in 1997, second in 1998 and fourth in 1999. She holds the Kansas State record in both events.
“I’m really happy for the student-athletes, because they’ve been in a situation where they haven’t really had a throws coach, and now they do,” Deem said. “She’s been a great asset for our whole program, and the longer she’s here the better our throws program is going to get and she’ll be able to develop it.”
With Seiler, they have learned a lot of new techniques and doubled their intensity during workouts. They have also made great strides in the weight room. Where other coaches could tell them how to throw from studying the sport and watching videos, Seiler can tell them from her own experience.
“Someone who hasn’t done it can tell you how to do it, but they don’t really know how it feels to do it. It’s easier for her to relate and understand what we’re thinking and how we’re feeling,” Moss said.
Seiler tells her throwers she has experienced the highs and lows of being a student-athlete, and since she’s not far removed from their situation, she knows how to help them deal with all of it.
“She’s really helpful, really motivational, and just a lot of fun to be around,” Penrose said. “She doesn’t ever limit our potential and the goals that we have.”
Seiler’s goals for the team are high, but she believes the can step up to the challenge. She wants them to score in every event in which they compete, first in the BIG EAST Championships, and later in regionals. She knows that the 100% effort they give will be evident in their performance.
“This year has been challenging and exciting,” Seiler said. “And they’ve continued to exceed my expectations.”
