Cedars, March 2019

March 2019 17 SPORTS Hluch Makes Big Comeback in Record-Shattering Season by Abigail Hintz W hen Lane Hluch arrived at Ce- darville his freshman year, the track and field program expected big things out of him, as he did for himself. He was coming off of an incredibly success- ful high school career in which he racked up accolades including hammer throw champi- on and All-American, despite dealing with a back injury. He gave his new coaches no reason to doubt his potential. Just three meets into his freshman year, Hluch suffered a lower back hernia- tion which forced him to miss the rest of his indoor season and redshirt his first outdoor season. He had to completely change how he trained, all with the knowledge that he would not be competing. “It forced me to learn more about the sport and apply things to my training so I could make a bigger comeback,” Hluch said. When Hluch’s sophomore season rolled around, the injury was still dictating his track performance. Both his indoor and out- door seasons were successful, but he could not reach his full potential. Hluch ended 2017 on the G-MAC Indoor Second Team and the G-MAC Outdoor Second Team. Head coach Jeff Bolender admitted that he wondered where Hluch’s career would go from there. “Anytime you have a significant injury like a back, you’re always wondering, ‘Can they recover?’” he said. Hluch’s junior year was shaping up to be different. He seemed to finally be healthy, until mono took him down again. He still found success, but nothing like what Jackets fans would see out of him his senior year, when he finally found com- plete health. This season, Hluch has broken the Ce- darville hammer throw record three times, and holds the top three all-time Cedarville performances. His current weight throw re- cord and the best weight throw in Cedarville history is 17.35 meters. The throw won the NCCAA Men’s Indoor Track & Field Cham- pionship by more than a foot. Hluch called breaking the records a “re- lief,” after dealing with injuries for so long, all while knowing that those records were well within reach for him. “There is no doubt that breaking those records was a major steppingstone. I could not do what I wanted to do without breaking those records,” he said. “I was so pumped. It was a major accomplishment.” He is now known as the best hammer throw athlete in Cedarville history. Bolender is convinced that if Hluch had never been injured, he could have been even better. “It’s kind of like telling a basketball player to play basketball, but don’t jump,” Bolender said. “He’s still very effective and he’s had a good career, but he’s limited.” Hluch says dealing with injuries and sickness brought unbeknownst benefits. “I really thought I was going to come in and wipe the board and do all this crazy stuff,” said Hluch. “I think [God] truly hum- bled me and made me love the sport again and not make it just about the accolades but the inner desire to get better.” Despite the success he has had this sea- son, Hluch isn’t done yet. “For the weight throw I still would like to hit the provisional mark,” Hluch said. “Specifically, I’d really like to hit 18 meters. For the hammer, I would like to throw well enough to become a first-team All-American, which would require a 20- 25 foot PR.” When Hluch graduates from the track and field program, he will leave behind an unprecedented legacy. But the athletics and the accolades are not what have defined his time as a student here at Cedarville. Rath- er, it has been the relationships that have meant so much to Hluch. Cedarville’s peo- ple and Christian atmosphere have been standout parts of his college experience and he will never forget them. But that’s not all that has made an impact on his life. “If I want to get specific, I do like Chuck’s and I like how my meal is always prepared,” he said jokingly. Right now, Hluch is thankful to have been healthy for 15 months and counting, and that God is the ultimate healer. He loves track and the opportunities he’s had to share the gospel because of it. As for his success, he’s glad to have a part in growing the legacy of the school. “I want Cedarville to be at the top of the podium in several years,” he said. “Being a better athlete and encouraging others to do better is all a part of this building block; that in ten years from now I can look back and see that my record has been broken because I was able to start something. “And not just me. It takes the whole team to make something great happen.” Abigail Hintz is a freshman journalismma- jor and sports writer for Cedars. She loves sending people GIFs, reading books and watching way more soccer than the aver- age person. Photo by Carrie Bergan Lane Hluch, who some call the best hammer throw athlete in CU history, does a warmup throw before the competition.