Meet the “cornerstone” thrower in USU’s track and field program
Hailing all the way from the distant Kopavogur, Iceland; sophomore javelin thrower Sindri Gudmundsson has become a “cornerstone” of Utah State’s track and field team. Not just now, but for the future.
On Tuesday, Gudmundsson was named the USTFCCCA Division I Athlete of the Week on the heels of his 80.49-meter throw in javelin at the UC-Irvine Spring Break Classic meet. With that throw, Gudmundsson set a new school record and became the first Aggie to surpass 80 meters in the javelin.
Interim track and field head coach Matt Ingebritson said those kinds of throws were what he envisioned when he was recruiting Gudmundsson out of Iceland.
“He possesses all of the visual and mental signs that we look for in big-time javelin throwers,” Ingebritson said. “He’s probably the most talented athlete overall that I’ve had the pleasure to work with and even train with when I was in college myself.”
Utah State’s track and field program has slowly built itself up over the years, but hasn’t necessarily been able to attract big-time athletes with high ceilings. Gudmundsson, along with other athletes such as women’s shot put thrower Brenn Flint, could end up changing that.
“He’s what we call a cornerstone athlete,” Ingebritson said of Gudmundsson. “Those are the kind of kids that start to basically advertise by being who they are and then we start to get more and more kids in here.”
It wasn’t an accident that Gudmundsson found his way from Iceland to Utah State. After meeting through a German company that helps connect athletes with coaches, Ingebritson and Gudmundsson talked over Skype on a weekly basis.
Gudmundsson said he “freaking loved” the meetings with Ingebritson and knew the coach was truly interested in him. He said he googled Logan at that time and thought it “looked pretty” and that it was “not too big, so it was just perfect” since he is more of a small-town guy.
Getting to this point where he is now hasn’t been easy for the sophomore. Shortly after committing to Utah State, Gudmundsson sustained an elbow injury that required him to get Tommy John’s surgery. He got the surgery in 2015 and was able to compete his freshman year, but was unable to practice between meets, limiting his progression. But that setback didn’t get him down, as he’s worked hard to reach a higher level.
“It’s been pretty cool to watch him and develop and come back,” Ingebritson said. “I think he learned a lot from that injury. It made him a lot more patient and now he’s so dedicated to his training and his program.”
Already, Gudmundsson said he feels like the work he’s put in has paid off. And he said he feels like he can make quicker progress.
“It’s been helping a lot,” Gudmundsson said of his work in practice this semester. “I feel more ready, more prepared for every single meet and I just feel like I can throw further ever throw.”
The long-term goal for Gudmundsson is to reach the Olympic standard of 83 meters and qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Ingebritson said he doesn’t know what the ceiling is for his young athlete, but said that “we know where we can go now” in reference to being able to compete in international championships.