Nolan Landis ended the 2018 indoor season ranked fourth in Ohio in the shot put event.
Nolan Landis, who represents Madison, is one of the state's top shot put and discus throwers. The junior transferred from Cathedral Prep (PA) and has enjoyed an excellent first year of competition in Ohio. Landis finished fourth in the shot put event at the D1 State Championship and he went on to place eighth at New Balance Nationals Indoor. He's currently ranked third in the country in the discus event due to his pr throw of 191-3.75 at the NEOITC Indoor / Outdoor Meet earlier this week.
MileSplit Ohio recently had an opportunity to talk with Nolan about how his indoor season went, what his training schedule resembles and what his goals are moving forward.
How did your indoor season go? What accomplishments were you the most proud of and did your results align with what your expectations were going into your first season of competition in Ohio?
I enjoyed the indoor season, though there were some technical frustrations along the way. But then, that's how it is for throwers. You're always dissecting things, trying to find a better way. As far as the competitions are concerned, it was important for me to gain confidence as a shot-putter. I think my expectations were focused on those things, like being competitive in order to gain confidence. I think that's the kind of balance, or continuum, that every athlete is chasing. Overall, I was happy to win two championships outright (TSTCA & NEOITC) and place a respectable fourth at the Indoor State Championship and eighth at New Balance Nationals Indoor.
What goals do you have set for yourself; both in terms of the 2018 outdoor season and the rest of your high school career?
My goals are based mainly on that continuum I mentioned. Basically, I want to continually find better ways to compete. What that means in practical terms is that you have to create a kind of pyramid of goals for yourself. So, you have goals for your progress in the weight room, goals for your nutrition, goals for your technical abilities as a thrower, goals for your competitiveness and finally, goals for your marks. It's an attempt to be a holistic athlete and within each of the things I mentioned are both concrete and intangible markers of progress. So, what that all boils down to is a set of goals that keeps changing and is directed at moving the marks farther out into the sector.
Describe your experience at New Balance Nationals Indoor. How did you feel about competing against the best throwers in the country?
This was my third trip to a New Balance Nationals meet, but my first time making a finals. So, in that context it was a pretty big positive. For me, the goal in going was to compete well - what my dad calls "holding your water" on the big stage. The outcome has definitely boosted my confidence and demonstrated to me what hard work and competitive drive can do. I feel that if I keep applying myself and remember to be patient, I can continue to throw my best with the best.
Talk about the transition between competing in Pennsylvania last year to Ohio this year. What were the biggest adjustments that you needed to make to ensure that you achieved as much success as possible?
The biggest change for me was giving up football. Shortly after we won the PA state title during my sophomore year, I started to think that all my goals with football had been reached. I knew I didn't want to play in college, but I also knew that I hoped to throw at the Division I level. The other big change was swapping high school at Cathedral Prep for College Credit Plus at Lakeland Community College. Even though I compete for Madison High School, I take all of my classes at Lakeland. The college schedule has kept me busy, but I've been relieved of all the travel time to and from Erie, PA. I think I've adapted pretty well to the changes, though I've had a lot of supportive help from my parents, brother and Madison High's coach, Jeremy Verdi.
Nolan Landis recently set a new pr in the discus event with his throw of 191-3.75.
Give an overview of what your training looks like. Do you spend a lot of time in the weight room as part of your progression plan? What exercises do you focus on?
My training is different depending on the time of year. Right now, I am throwing 3-4 days/week and lifting 3 days/week. I think if you are a thrower, you need to love the weights just as much as you love to throw. That's a mindset that I've had to come around to, since I honestly love to throw more than anything else. As far as the weight training is concerned, we work through different training paradigms throughout the year. Lately, we are in a low rep/quick rep plan in which we emphasize speed and stability. For example, right now the workout is based around single leg squats, cleans and incline bench press. There are additional exercises too, of course, such as box jumps and med ball throws. Throughout the year, I'll do variations of those exercises in different rep/set counts.
What throwers have motivated you to work hard and strive to be the best that you can become? What fellow competitors out there in Ohio and beyond do you enjoy competing against?
There are many! But the throwers that have had the biggest impact on me are my brother, Cam and my friend, Jordan Geist. Cam has been a constant, always pushing me to be better in everything I do. I'm still chasing one of his marks (he threw 61'3" in the shot), so after that I may be able to lay claim to "best thrower in the house" since he took a deal to play football at the University of Pennsylvania. Jordan, of course, is the best thrower of our generation. When I was a freshman, I would always get stuck throwing right after him since I would be the last man into finals and he was always the first. It was a little intimidating, but at the same time it was inspirational. Last year I started throwing for the Long & Strong West club run by Coach Mike Hambrick, which is the same club for which Jordan threw. It was then that I got to know him and really learn about the kind of work he had done to make himself into the "Knochness Monster". There is a fair dose of mentorship in our friendship and I've learned a lot from him, as well as his parents, Judy and Jim. Here in Ohio, there are also many great guys which I enjoy competing against, but I can also easily say that my friend Michael Shoaf sets the standard. I've known Michael since the eighth grade, when he won the middle school shot state championship and I won the discus. We've been able to train together once in a while at SPIRE and I really look up to Michael's talent and competitive drive. He and his family have been very kind to me and were really the first folks outside of Madison to welcome me back to Ohio. I'm hopeful that Michael and I will keep finding opportunities to train and compete together.
How have your dad and older brother influenced your throwing?
As I mentioned before, Cam has both set standards and pushed me to break through them. He's the best brother anyone could ever have and truly, he's my best friend. My dad has been there since the start. He was my primary coach in middle school and was an assistant coach at Cathedral Prep. More recently, he has been referring to himself as the "effector" coach, as he sees his job being more about following-up on what I've been taught by Coaches Hambrick, Fanger, Stancliffe, Beck, or any of the folks who've taught me to be a better thrower. My dad is also the guy who turned our garage into a first class weight facility and is still out there with my brother and I, moving the iron and cheering us on. He's always said, "You work hard, and I'll work hard for you." He means it.
Nolan Landis attributes a great deal of his success to his coaches and fellow competitors.
Talk about your routine in the throwing circle. You seem to be very structured in what you do before and during every throw. Does this consistency provide some kind of comfort to you that you're about to perform well?
I think that there is definitely truth in that suggestion. I also think that the rituals are a way to make the technical complexities of the throw seem less complex. As a thrower, the less I think about, generally the better I perform. In other words, I'm trying to avoid the old "paralysis by analysis," which is something I feel like I struggled with last season. So, by sweeping out the circle, wiping my feet, tapping the toe-board and visualizing the shot landing in the sector, I'm trying to take away distractions and allow the movement pathways in my brain to just happen. The rest of the throw should then come down to cadence and ferocity.
What technical aspects of your throwing were on point during the indoor season? What technical parts of your game need improvement and how do you intend on shoring up these areas?
Well, I don't think I really got anywhere near where I wanted to go in terms of technique. I did make some improvement in getting off my right foot, and shutting down my left out of the back of the circle. My middle has been okay, but the finish is not all that close to what I'm shooting for. I've learned that it's really important for me to get my left foot down quickly, and completely, at the front - otherwise I have nothing to push against. But my block has been nearly nonexistent and is a part of the throw that is taking most of my attention now. The way forward, for now at least, is to continue doing more non-reverse finishes and band work to improve my right foot and hip drive into the throw.
What advice can you give to young throwers who are looking to excel in the throwing events?
One place to start is with a mindset: you need to be patient. Becoming a thrower is generally a long term project. When I started throwing in seventh grade, my dad had me compete with a modified South African (basically, a step, turn and throw), which is a progression to the full spin technique. I was not impressive. However, it helped to create movement patterns in my brain that allowed me to progress more readily into the full throw - which I am still learning, by the way. It never stops. So, you need to be patient. Another thing I would tell a novice thrower is to respect your competition. You can learn a lot from the guys you throw against. Finally, I would say it's so important to grow stronger and faster, so learn to love the weight room.
Check out some interviews with Nolan from the 2018 indoor season:
Nolan Landis - Erie Division #1
