Jake Tanner '24 Recruiting Profile

I am known by my coaches as the guy who will go the extra mile to get better at my sport. Two years ago, I was told that I would not be able to compete in shot-put or discus anymore because of a major surgery that would involve the removal of my fibula. For some reason, my mind never accepted that idea. Perhaps, the idea escaped me because of my own naivete, but, regardless, I never mourned its loss because it never became a reality in my mind. After the surgery, I lost so much weight that I was the same physically as my freshman self. Back-tracking like that was extremely discouraging, but even when I was in a boot, limited to low-weight workouts, I pushed myself to get back my strength. By the time track season started back up, I was squatting more weight than I ever had before. I still had to overcome mobility issues, but, since then, I have had no problems with my sport. The resources at my school are minimal and specialized training has never been exactly our strength, but effort has gotten me to the level I am at.