Jarred Rome collects a pile of discus from the practice field during a beautiful San Diego day.

Allow us to direct your attention to OnTrack’s center ring, where we salute elite thrower Jarred Rome. At 35, Jarred is a consistent performer who has for many years “done the work” somewhat out of the limelight. But don’t be fooled... this giant is not napping!

At 6'4", 300 lbs, this powerful Seattle, Wash. native is all business when it comes to his sport. He’s been ranked as one of the top three U.S. discus throwers since 2002, and has been listed among the world’s top 10 since 2004 (discus PR: 225'7"/68.76m ; shot put PR: 66'11.25" /20.40m). Jarred is coached by Ty Sevin and Art Venegas —a featured instructor at the famous Iron Wood Thrower Development Camp (see page 54), where, since 1993, Jarred has participated as an athlete, and then a coach.

Jarred began his long, steady climb from anonymity to international prominence during a respectable college athletic career at Boise State University, Idaho. While pursuing a degree in business management (2000) at BSU, the six–time Division I All-American held both the school’s discus (210' 0"/64.00m) and shot put records (63' 11.75"/19.50m). After finishing his MBA in 2003 (Univ. of Idaho), Jarred geared up to win his very first national title at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, a performance that earned him a trip to the Games in Athens. Jarred’s Olympic toss of 201'11" (61.54m) made him the 14th qualifier, bringing him just short of admission to the final in Athens, and adding even more fuel to his competitive fire.

Last year, Jarred celebrated his second U.S. title with a fourth–round throw of 209'11" (63.98m) in Eugene, Ore., an effort resulting in his fourth consecutive World Outdoor Championship berth (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011). Months later, he scored a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. And if that weren’t enough, 2011 also produced Jarred’s freshly minted PR, a mark that positioned him as the #3 discus thrower in the world. (This guy has legs! )

Our OnTrack photographer caught up with Jarred recently at a practice session in San Diego,