Arizona graduate student-athlete Samantha Noennig, the reigning NCAA Division 1 Indoor and Outdoor women's shot put champion from 2019 along with the NACAC U-23 gold medalist, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss her lifetime-best 59-10.50 (18.25m) in the sixth round Feb. 13 at the Texas Tech Shootout at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock. Noennig took over the collegiate lead, in addition to elevating to No. 3 in the U.S. and 10th in the world this year, along with eclipsing the Arizona indoor program record of 59-1.25 (18.01m) achieved by Julie Labonte in 2012 and ascending to the No. 11 all-time NCAA indoor competitor. She shares how her training has developed since being coached by T.J. Crater after previously working with Brian Blutreich during her time competing at Arizona State. Noennig examines how she was finally able to bring her right leg around out of the back in order to surpass her previous indoor best mark of 59-7.50 (18.17m) from last year in Albuquerque, N.M. She speaks about her history and friendship with Wisconsin standout Josie Schaefer, who is second in Division 1 this year with a 59-4.25 (18.09m) effort, and how they competed and trained together in high school, as well as both representing the U.S. in 2015 at the World U-18 Championships in Cali, Colombia. Noennig analyzes her quest to surpass 60 feet and beyond this year and describes the consistency of her entire series as Texas Tech as an important step in that journey. She also reflects on former Arizona State teammate Turner Washington eclipsing the 2019 men's collegiate indoor shot put record with a sixth-round mark of 71-8.25 (21.85m) at Texas Tech, and speaks about the depth of both men's and women's competitors expected to throw at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships, scheduled for March 11-13 at Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Noennig describes her Master's program in pursuit of her degree in public health and reveals how she came to adopt a rescue dog in September named Pepper, who turned 1 in December.

QUARANTINE CONVERSATIONS - EP56 - SAMANTHA NOENNIG