The UC Irvine men's track & field team kicks off the 2020 campaign this weekend at the Beach Opener. The Anteaters welcome back all three of their NCAA qualifiers, including senior Jack Pickard. The javelin thrower and Applied Physics major made an immediate impact last year after transferring from Diablo Valley College, and will look to build on that success in his final collegiate campaign.
 
In 2019, Pickard broke UCI's new javelin record in his first NCAA Division I meet. He notched a lifetime-best 221-00 to win the event at the Big West Challenge. Pickard went on to earn all-conference honors with a third-place finish at the Big West Championships, and qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary Round. Making all of his accomplishments even more impressive is the fact that Pickard did not get his start in track & field until he got to community college.
 
 
You played baseball in high school and didn't compete in a track & field meet until you got to junior college. Talk a little about that journey and what got you into track & field.
After high school, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with my life, so I chose to go to community college and further my education at an affordable price. I actually tried to play baseball at community college as well, but I ended up injuring both of my shoulders. At that point, I decided to focus on school and got a job on campus tutoring student-athletes. My boss (Coach Kyle Whitmore) ended up being the track coach at the school, and when he found out that I used to play baseball and was a pitcher, he suggested I try the javelin. He sold me by saying, "It'll be fun, plus you get priority registration for your classes so you can make sure you get the classes you need." Once I started training, he said, "You're kind of athletic, I'm going to put you in the decathlon. It'll be a good introduction to track." From there, I worked every day with Coach Ed Miller, former head coach at UC Berkeley for over 20 years, while he trained me for all 10 events simultaneously. It was a rough transition, as I trained six days a week for at least four hours per day, but that was when I fell in love with the sport of track and field, and how your achievements and personal records are solely based on your own effort and talent.
 
Who would you say had the biggest impact on the start of your track & field career?
Coach Kyle Whitmore is definitely the person to whom I owe the biggest debt of gratitude. If it weren't for him, I would not be at UCI, let alone in track and field at all.
 
What were some of the challenges you faced in the transition from baseball to throwing javelin?
The biggest challenge I faced was figuring out how to throw upwards. In baseball, especially as a pitcher, it's natural to throw at a downward angle, releasing the ball way out in front of you, but to be a good javelin thrower, you have to release the jav when it's above you, and have an upward tilt to your entire body. Having to break 14 years of training my body to throw downward is something I'm still working on today.
 
Last year you were an NCAA Regional qualifier, All-Big West performer and broke a school record. What would you say contributed to that success and how do you continue to build on that this season?
I think what helped the most last year was the support system I was given. Both Coach Ciarelli and Coach Perkins have given me everything I need and more to succeed at this level. At the end of the day, it was on me to put in the work to get better. Also, at community college I didn't have access to a javelin coach or a weight room every day, and I was a decathlete, so I could only work on the javelin once or twice a week. Once I got to UCI, I was able to focus solely on the javelin and tailor my workouts to this event specifically. This year, I'm working with Coach Ciarelli on the finer, more advanced techniques in the javelin to maximize every aspect of the throw. Last year, Coach Ciarelli and I had to adapt to each other and our opposing styles to make things work, but now that we've gotten that out of the way I see big improvements and PRs in the near future.
 
What do you hope to accomplish in your senior campaign?
My goal for the season this year is to make it to, and score, at nationals. I know I'm capable of doing this, I just need to make it happen this year. Another dream of mine is to make the Olympic trials and maybe go pro, but these goals are a little harder to reach. Who knows, anything can happen!
 
Why did you choose to continue your academic and athletic career at UC Irvine?
Coach Ciarelli was actually the first D1 coach to reach out and recruit me, and when I took an official visit here, I fell in love with the campus and the life I could have here. Shout out to Omar Valenzuela for hosting me and answering all my questions. 
 
What has been your favorite class at UCI so far?
My favorite class would have to be Quantum Mechanics. The concepts we discussed in lecture and were expected to know made me question whether I was in the right major a few times, but I couldn't help but fall in love with the toil and hardship that we Applied Physics majors go through together to learn the concepts, and the amazing feeling you get when you get problems right and survive midterms/finals.
 
For those of us who aren't familiar with it, can you describe Applied Physics and what it entails?
The Applied Physics major is basically a cross between Theoretical Physics and Engineering. Applied Physics majors complete almost all the same classes that regular Physics majors do, and also take 32 units of upper division engineering courses, in a field of their choosing. For example, my specialization is in Mechanical Engineering, so I am currently taking upper division mechanical engineering classes to satisfy my specialization requirements.
 
How do you balance your academic and athletic work load?
Because of my major, pretty much all of my classes are only offered once a year, at one time. This means that Coach Ciarelli and I are forced to work around my class schedule, and she has made it work gracefully. Usually this means splitting up throwing practice, drills, and lifting into different times of the day. It's not ideal, but we make it work well. As a result I'm on campus pretty much all day every day during the week, but it's well worth it.
 
What are your post-collegiate/career goals?
Ideally, I'm looking to try and find a job in the Aerospace Engineering field, but I have yet to find anything specifically yet. If I have the chance to go to the Olympics and/or throw professionally, I would jump at the chance to do that while I'm still young enough to do so. As of now, however, the future is wide open!