The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced Auburn University’s Jacob Dunkleberger as the NCAA South Region Indoor Field Athlete of the Year March 10.
Dunkleberger won the weight throw at all three meets in which he competed this season, placed first in the weight throw and sixth in the shot put at the SEC Championships March 1 and got second in the hammer throw at the NCAA Indoor Championships March 15.
Dunkleberger’s top mark of 21.87 meters ranks fourth in the nation this year.
But the senior in business administration and logistics from Smyrna, Ga., isn’t letting his success on Auburn’s track and field team go to ahis head.
“I have great surroundings and a great coaching staff, and that has a lot to do with it,” Dunkleberger said. “Good teammates, good coaches and a little bit of talent go a long way.”
Although Dunkleberger said he’s happy with his performance on Auburn’s track and field team, he said his team doesn’t talk about the competitions and awards the athletes have won.
“In any sport, you need to put your nose to the grindstone and get the job done,” Dunkleberger said. “We can talk about awards later. I want to prove everybody right that they picked me as athlete of the year.”
Dunkleberger’s family, however, can’t stand to wait until the end of the season to talk about his athletic achievements.
“Mom and Dad are always proud,” Dunkleberger said. “They’ve been at every championship, and even when I’m sixth or seventh, they’re just beside themselves. I think it means a lot more to them than it does to me right now. They really have a grasp on what it means.”
Dunkleberger said his parents were ecstatic when they found out their son was named athlete of the year.
And his coaches were proud of him, too.
“I was impressed,” said Jerry Clayton, Dunkleberger’s throws coach. “It’s quite an honor, especially in this conference. It’s one of the top track and field conferences in the country.”
Clayton, who began coaching at Auburn in 1998, has worked with Dunkleberger since he transferred from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in fall 2005.
“I knew he was good competitor,” Clayton said. “He got high marks in high school, and he performed well at Miami. When he transferred here, he seemed to step it up. He improved significantly right away the first year, and he has continued to improve for the past two years.”
Dunkleberger’s teammate Eric Werskey, a sophomore in pre-business, said Dunkleberger deserved the title of athlete of the year because of all he has contributed to the team.
“He’s doing really well,” Werskey said. “Being a transfer myself, he was able to show me the ropes in the program. I trained with Jake the first two months of school. He’s a leader on the team, and everyone looks up to him because he does so well”
Dunkleberger admitted he was surprised to receive such an honor.
“I didn’t really expect anything like that,” Dunkleberger said. “I just kind of thought, ‘Oh really? Me?’ There’s a lot of good competition in our conference. You’ve got to be on top of your game to win something like that.”
Although indoor competitions are over, Dunkleberger will compete in a number of outdoor meets before he graduates in May.
Dunkleberger plans to try out for the Olympic Games, but he said he doesn’t expect to make a living from competing in track and field events.
“Auburn is the absolute pinnacle for a track athlete,” Dunkleberger said. “I’m just really enjoying the situation I’m in now. If I get the opportunity to throw after college, I would take it. But you take it one step at a time. I have two majors and I’d like to use them.”
But right now, Dunkleberger is just getting ready for the outdoor track and field season.
“My goal is to do the best I can in every championship meet, and hopefully it will work out for me like it did last year,” Dunkleberger said.
Dunkleberger’s coach shares his hopes for the rest of the track and field season.
“He’s done a great job here at Auburn,” Clayton said. “He’s been a great competitor. Hopefully outdoors will be more continued success.”