Thrower pushes through pain

When it comes to injuries, athletes will tell you the same thing: there are few more devastating than knee injuries, and the bigger the athlete, the more crippling the injury. \nJunior shot thrower Ryan Ketchum knows this all too well. He spent the summer battling back from two incapacitating knee injuries -- a torn ACL and meniscus. He knew a complete recovery would not be enough; he would also have to make changes to prevent re-injury. \n"This summer, I focused a lot on losing extra pounds and getting quicker through rehab, which really improved my speed in the ring" said Ketchum.\nThe young indoor season finds Ketchum much improved. His 17.18 meter shot put performance from last weekend's meet in Missouri, where he finished second among collegians, ranked him eighth on the Big Ten list. \nConsistently strong early season performances are generally followed by a significant improvement the next meet, and senior teammate Mike Minton believes Ketchum's best is yet to come.\n"Ryan's been consistently throwing past 56 feet (17.10 meters)," said Minton, "That's a good indicator that with this strength training and ability to make technical improvements, he'll be ready to put it all together." \nKetchum is optimistic, but knows improvement is always necessary, and there are always challenges to overcome. \n"In an event like the shot there are always barriers to be broken before the next level. In my case it's distance," said Ketchum, who also competes in the weight throw.\n"I'm fighting to break those barriers every time I step in the ring. Everyone knows how far you're throwing, so a lot of it is mental." \nSince Ketchum arrived at IU, there has been pressure for him to throw with the Big Ten's best, a daunting task considering the tendency for new foreign talent to show up each year. He expects a lot out of himself on each throw, which can be hard to handle.\n"When things don't go well it can be tough," Ketchum said. "I've had to learn a lot, and I'm still learning how to move past bad throws and push myself to throw farther." \nAssistant coach Adam Judge said he thinks Ketchum handles pressure well.\n"The great thing about Ryan is that he doesn't let anything get to him. He gets in the ring and gives it all he's got, regardless of pressure," Judge said. "He's so strong mentally and physically that if he gets the timing right, even in the weight throw, he could be in the top five in the Big Ten."\nKetchum credits Coach Randy Heisler and the strength coaching staff with the opportunity to come to IU from Hutchinson, Kan. to throw for the Hoosiers, and the motivation to continually strive for improvement. He's excited about the outdoor season, planning to contribute to a team that could grab a top Big Ten spot. \n"As far as Big Ten's go, I should be competing for the top four spots in the shot," said Ketchum. "Indoors I'd like nothing better than to qualify for nationals, and outdoors one of my most challenging goals is to be All-American and qualify for the Olympic Trials."\n"We're coming off a high outdoor finish last year, and we can use that momentum to finish even higher both indoors and out," he said. "If everyone stays healthy and competes at a high level we can compete for a Big Ten title"