Joe Nowakowski puts himself on the Patriot League Championship podium

After throwing his final put at the Patriot League Championship, Joseph Nowakowski tossed his wrist strap toward his bag and ran to celebrate with his teammates.

The junior track and field thrower said he typically knows if his mark will be good as soon as it leaves his hand. His sixth and final put at the championship was one of those times.

Nowakowski’s final put traveled a distance of 15.94 meters. It landed him third place at the meet, making him one of three podium placers from Lehigh. 

While he was full of excitement when he joined his teammates after competing, his emotions going into the championship were more complex.  

He said the final indoor meet always feels more nerve-wracking than regular season events, as he’s aware that all of his training has led him to this moment amid the pre-meet excitement. 

However, he said the nerves enhance his performance.

“The more nervous I am, the more focused I am,” Nowakowski said. “When you feel nervous, you feel more focused, and you feel more on target for what you’re trying to achieve.”

Nowakowski hasn’t always competed as well as he’s hoped at the Naval Academy, where the final indoor meet is held each year. 

At last year’s championship, he finished 11th in the shot put, logging a distance of 14.99 meters. But this year, he said he went in with a different mindset.

“I was going in with a chip on my shoulder,” Nowakowski said. “I think I was just able to take control of my emotions in that circumstance and just kind of channel them into a good performance.”

Nowakowski said being in the presence of his skilled competition at the meet also enhanced his performance. Recognizing that he’s on the same level as his high-achieving opponents, rather than below them, provided him a confidence boost, he said. 

While he finished the championship on a strong note, Nowakowski said he felt off target for much of it. Going into his final throw, he was seeded eighth.

“I just thought to myself, ‘You have nothing to lose,’” he said. “‘Just go out, leave it all out there.’” 

Anticipating the results after his final throw, Nowakowski didn’t know if it would be enough to get him to third place because the competition scores were so close, he said.

But once he looked at the live results, his first thought was to join his teammates to celebrate. 

“I think the difference between being able to have a good performance and a great performance is all about your team and how they can support you,” Nowakowski said.

This mindset is different from the one he carried earlier in his career. In high school, Nowakowski was more individually-minded, preferring to perform in silence, he said. 

Now, as a Mountain Hawk, he’s propelled by the team’s support. He said he knows he wouldn’t compete as well as he does without his teammates. 

Sophomore thrower Avery Dowkus said Nowakowski is known for his intense focus and the assistance he offers during practice, which contributes to success in high-pressure situations.

Dowkus said it’s important for the team to cheer one another on throughout long meets, and the athletes always make sure to yell when someone is in the throw circle.

“It was really amazing to see my teammate celebrate success like that,” Dowkus said. “He was super excited, and you could tell the whole room just got super excited. Everyone could feel his emotions.”

Junior thrower Sharan Shankar said this support begins before meet days, as he and Nowakowski often discuss not letting pressure overtake their ability to throw big at important meets.

Shankar also said the ability to move on is a large asset in this sport. 

“You have to have the memory of a goldfish,” he said. “You have a bad throw, whatever, who cares, right? You have two or five more.”

Nowakowski said he likes to take everything one step at a time. While he could easily look into the future and think about the regional competition that will follow him receiving his medal at the Patriot League Championships, he’s just trying to get to his next practice, he said. 

As a political science and philosophy student who was also recently named an Academic All-Patriot League athlete, Nowakowski said he enjoys all the aspects about being a student-athlete — training, competing and school work. 

Managing his time isn’t difficult for him, he said, as he looks forward to all parts of his schedule. 

“It’s one of those things where I don’t look at school or training as something that I have to do,” Nowakowski said. “I look at it as something that I get to do.”