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Shot Put Champ Takes On The Ivy League

Each week, Patch highlights an individual or group in the community who's doing something interesting. Meet Igor Liokumovich, this week's pick.

Name: Igor Liokumovich

School: Deerfield High School

Age: 18

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As student athletes go, Igor Liokumovich is incredibly versatile in terms of the sports he can participate in. In fact, Liokumovich competed during all three seasons of school as a freshman, playing football, volleyball, and wrestling. Having entered high school at 6' 3", Liokumovich was tall even compared to seniors, so next to other freshman his height advantage was even more pronounced.

 One might anticipate such a vertically gifted sportsman to find success in competition sports like basketball or volleyball, where height can be used as a weapon against shorter opponents . In spite of such expectations, Liokumovich has found his calling in a less obvious sport; during his sophomore year, senior wrestler Andrew Rixon encouraged Liokumovich to try throwing a shot put, a track and field event in which athletes throw a heavy metal ball as far as possible. "[Rixon] said it would get me into shape for wrestling," Liokumovich said. "He helped me with lifting and I figured while I was at practice I may as well work hard." 

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 Shot put is a difficult competition, testing athletes' form, power, and focus as they try to propel the shot as far as possible. The sport is unique in that throwers' distances are compared to determine a winner, but as Liokumovich said, "It's just you and the shot put. There is no defense." Though Liokumovich wasn't on the varsity team that first year, it was clear he'd found his niche; by junior year he'd reached the all-state level in shot put and second team all state in discus. This past year Liokumovich was all-state in both shot put and discus, finishing in second and third place respectively. In addition, he was conference, county, and sectional champion in shot put and discus during both junior and senior year. 

 Not surprisingly, college-level athletic programs take notice of such accomplishments. "Competing in college was something I always knew I would do," Liokomovich said, and luckily for him many scouts were enthusiastic about him. Though there are few scholarships for track, Liokumovich received offers from Duke, Stanford, Brown, Yale, Michigan, Princeton, and Wisconsin. With so many options, the choice wasn't easy.

 But Liokumovich didn't choose any of those schools after hearing from one other program. "Harvard gave me a call the summer after my junior year," he said. "Also, my assistant coach, Steven Cohen, went to Harvard and competed there as a thrower as well. He had nothing but good things to say and it sounded like the place for me." After an official visit, Liokumovich knew that Harvard, complete with its legendary academic program and great surrounding city, was the school for him. Harvard's workload won't be easy, but Liokumovich is assured that he'll be able to handle it; "I need to maintain a good GPA and stay out of trouble. It's as simple as that."

 As for the future? For starters, Liokumovich is already nervous about one aspect of throwing shot put at Harvard. "The collegiate shot put is four pounds heavier than the high school one," he said. "It takes a lot of mental and physical preparation to throw the 16 pound shot." Liokumovich also plans on competing in hammer and weight throw in college, events he must train for rigorously in order to compete with other talented collegiate athletes. This summer he'll hit the weight room to get ready for college, but of course there are other important things for a graduated high school senior to do during his last summer home. "I plan on spending time with my friends before we all go away to different states," he said. "They are a big reason as to why I am what I am today."

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