Greensburg’s Damien Odle rockets up javelin chart at Wichita State

Wichita State’s Damien Odle gave up baseball after junior high, not by choice. He is not done with the sport, however.

Dream job: general manager of the San Francisco Giants, his favorite team.

“I grew up as a pitcher and that was my sport,” he said. “It love watching it, love playing it.”

At WSU, Odle’s sport is track and field and he competes Saturday in the javelin at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. Odle, from Greensburg, ranks 18th in the 24-man field with a throw of 240 feet, 8 inches. The finals are Monday.

Odle, a junior, is on the fast track to the top of WSU’s javelin list. In May, he set WSU’s record with a throw of 240 feet, 8 inches. He won the Missouri Valley Conference title and finished ninth in the NCAA Championships with a throw of 235-11.

Those performances follow an NJCAA title he won in 2015 for Cowley College with a throw of 201-9. The improvement comes largely from sharper footwork during his approach.

“I’m more fluid through it, not as bouncy,” he said. “I’m balanced as I’m running through. I always had problems hitting a plant. I always hit it with a bent knee, and that’s where your power’s at. Now I’m hitting it straight, where you’re supposed to.”

Odle, a sport management major, wants to return to baseball after graduation to work in the front office. His time as a player ended since Greensburg High didn’t sponsor the sport.

“I was forced to quit, but it’s one sport that’s always been there for me,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll pursue a career in it.”

This story was originally published July 1, 2016 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Greensburg’s Damien Odle rockets up javelin chart at Wichita State."