Avon's Al Gunter balances all three throwing events while chasing Class B state titles

May 22—AVON, S.D. — With the discus in his hands, Avon High School senior Al Gunter looks every bit like a state-title contender.

In the shot put ring, he carries the same consistency that has made him one of the top Class B throwers in South Dakota this spring. And then there is the javelin throw, the event that continues to challenge him and push him.

Most throwers stand out in one event, sometimes two. But as Gunter prepares for the Class B state track and field championships on May 28-30 in Sioux Falls, the Pirate senior is balancing all three throwing events while chasing individual state medals in each of them.

"Normally, I just kind of focus on one event, day-by-day," Gunter said. "Say we have a track meet on Thursday, I will focus on shot put on Monday. Then, I will throw discus on Tuesday and javelin on Wednesday. Mainly, I just try to squeeze in all three throws before the track meet that week which can be hard at times but I make it work."

The system has worked well this season. Gunter enters the state meet coming off one of the best stretches of his throwing career, highlighted by a school-record performance in the discus at Avon's home last chance meet Thursday. He uncorked a throw of 155 feet, 8 inches, to break the school record and claim the event title. The mark also ranks second in Class B this season, trailing only Alcester-Hudson's Evan Haak at 155-11.

The discus has become Gunter's signature event during his senior season. He has won seven discus titles this spring, including victories in four of his last five meets. After placing third at the state meet a year ago, Gunter now enters his final state appearance with legitimate championship aspirations.

And his growth in the ring did not happen overnight.

"Whenever I first started, I didn't really quite get the process of throwing. I kind of just muscled everything out there," Gunter said. "But my confidence has definitely gone up from practicing a lot, learning the footwork, watching videos and trusting myself."

That trust has translated into results in the shot put, as well. Gunter has been nearly as dominant in the event this season, winning five consecutive shot put competitions entering the state meet. His personal-best throw of 49 feet, 7.25 inches at the Little Missouri Valley Conference meet currently stands as the fifth-best mark in Class B this season. He also won the shot put on Thursday in Avon with a toss of 47-10.

While the discus and shot put have produced some of his biggest moments, the javelin has required a different level of patience. Unlike the rotational movements of discus and the explosive power needed for shot put, the javelin demands precision, timing and consistency. For Gunter, those details can vary from meet to meet.

"I tend to struggle with javelin quite often. I definitely have my off days," said Gunter of the javelin throw being the most difficult for him. "I will be throwing 10-15 feet underneath my PR, and then some days I will be right on my PR. So, I have been trying to practice that throw and improve the most in that event by just practicing and getting the motions down to throw it straight."

Even with the inconsistency, Gunter has remained competitive in the event. His top throw of 141 feet ranks 20th in Class B this season, and he has earned four runner-up finishes along with one victory earlier this spring.

His ability to remain competitive across all three throws has impressed Avon throwing coach Kamron Haase, who has worked with Gunter the last two seasons.

"I know for all three of his throws, he would kind of get in his head a little bit last year, but he has done much better this year of just staying relaxed and focusing on each mechanic with his different throws," Haase said.

Haase credits much of Gunter's improvement to the work he has put in outside of the ring.

"He really put in quite a bit of work in the offseason, and I am also the physical education teacher so I control his weightlifting class. He is constantly trying to get better," Haase said of Gunter's work ethic. "He probably spends the most time in the weight room, and he has the best routine for when he is getting ready to throw at meets and in practice."

Gunter's development has been shaped by two throwing coaches during his time at Avon. He spent his first two years learning under former throwing coach Tim Leibel, who introduced him to the fundamentals and footwork involved with each event. Over the last two seasons, Haase has helped Gunter refine his mechanics through video analysis, recording his throws during practice and meets before breaking down the film together.

That attention to detail has helped turn Gunter into not only one of Avon's top throwers, but also one of its leaders.

"He is really good about bringing people up and trying to get them to not get in their own heads," Haase said. "He has helped me out a lot as an extra coach at times for the other throwers, and he is a natural leader for our younger guys."

Now, with one final week remaining in his high school career, Gunter's focus turns toward finishing strong on South Dakota's biggest stage.

"My goal is to place in all three events," Gunter said. "I am hoping to get first in both the shot put and discus, but for javelin, I am hoping to place (on the top-eight podium). Obviously, it will be hard, but anything can happen at the state meet. It's going to be a lot of fun."