The hammer becomes more than a blunt instrument in Kate Powers' hands. She holds the chain attached to a four kilogram ball and spins before releasing, a ballet of balance, coordination and power.
"It’s such a poetic movement. There’s something about it is so special having that ball in your hands," Powers said. "I feel like me and the hammer connect a lot."
It's still a new relationship. She first picked up the implement two years ago, the summer after she graduated from Hopkinton before she matriculated to the University of Kentucky. As a Hiller, the Class of 2022 graduate compiled one of the most impressive high school track and field careers imaginable. Powers won league MVP awards, won state titles and racked up All-American honors.
"She’s got a don’t lose kind of attitude, which is an absolute necessity in the SEC," Kentucky throws coach Keith McBride said. "She takes no prisoners."
Biding her time
That trajectory continued at Kentucky. She set the Wildcats' freshman record, reached the podium at the SEC Championships, made for the finals at the NCAA Championships and qualified for the Olympic Trials. None of it would have happened, though if she didn't acclimate to the college environment and train for an entire redshirt year last season.
"The redshirt year was hard. Going from high school where you’re competing every single week and I only competed twice all year. It was hard to take a step back and just be practicing every day especially when coach (McBride) was gone practicing by myself and having to send him videos. It was a hard year. But I think that year is exactly why I’m in the position that I’m in now," Powers said. "It was definitely a huge advantage looking back now, even if it was hard in the moment."
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Powers emerged from her redshirt cocoon a leader. She managed competitions well until the indoor SEC championships. Her first few weight throws fell short of her standards.
"The only time she had a little bit of what I would call a freshman moment," McBride said. "There was that deer in headlights look."
He told her to "go be yourself." That clicked the pieces into place for a fifth-place finish.
"It was like she was a fourth- or fifth-year veteran at that point," McBride said. "She started attacking. Once she figured out how to attack it and kill everything, she took off."
Cleared for lift off
Powers picked the hammer back up once Kentucky stepped outdoors for the spring season. Her personal best throw from the prior summer (59 meters) was already further than the previous record of 56.84 meters set by Ashley Muffet in 2006.
"We were going into it like break the freshman record no matter what," Powers said. "If I don’t break this record, there’s going to be a problem."
No problem. She cleared 63.26 on her fifth and final attempt.
"I was like, ‘wow I’m supposed to be here,’” Powers said. “I didn’t see a 63 coming. Seeing that number in that first meet of the season gave us a lot of confidence.”
The number and her confidence both grew as the season progressed. She hit 63 again in finishing fourth at the SEC championships and 65.72 at the NCAA Championships to make the final and land ninth.
"You want to say relaxed and obviously not want to tense up when you throw because you want to stay long. When there’s stakes like at SECs or at nationals where you have the hope of scoring it makes you want to do a little bit better," Powers said. "You’re doing it for the team and other people are relying on you. Aspects of both make it better to throw. You want to stay relaxed and keep the ball moving."
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'Hoping for the best'
Despite the above expectations results, Powers initially believed it ended her season. She thought she needed a 67-meter throw to qualify for the Olympic Trials. Powers was seeded 23rd of 24 possible spots and had to wait, see and train. Nothing new.
"We were hoping for the best," Powers said. "and I thought I just missed it and it ended up coming down that I was in. I was so happy to be able to go. That’s one of the biggest stages right next to the actual Olympics. Being able to compete with pros for the first time and seeing them throw was a fantastic experience. I’m so happy I was able to throw."
The venue and format closely mirrored the NCAA championships, which felt comfortable. Powers also got the fangirling out of her system.
"You’re seeing these girls throw 10, 11, 12 meters further than I was throwing. It was a shock at the beginning," she said.
Powers finished 20th but with a renewed sense of purpose and inspiration.
"Seeing them throw those numbers at the end of the day that’s what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to throw those numbers and compete at the world stage," she said. "Seeing them do it in real life, it was good to see the goal come to life."
Those goals will become Powers' focus after a week or two off. She'll follow a training program at home in Hopkinton for the rest of the summer before returning to Lexington in the fall.
"She’s basically what we’re going to build this team around for the future," McBride said.
A hammer is a tool for building, after all.
Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kylegrbwsk.
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