A state of mind

Tyler Back is heading to Bloomington with a simple goal. He wants to perform better than he did last week.
It's a strategy that has served him well.
Back, a Jay County High School junior, will take that mindset with him Saturday, when he competes in the shot put at the IHSAA Boys Track and Field State Finals at Indiana University.
"He said, 'I'm not going to set any distances. I'm just going to go down there and try to perform and do my best,'" said JCHS coach Greg Garringer of Back's goals. "And that's what we're hoping for. If he throws 50-plus or gets his (personal record), we'll be happy with that."
Back enters the meet seeded last out of the 27 state competitors. Then again, he wasn't even expected to be there in the first place.
Prior to this year's tournament series, Back had never cleared the 50-foot barrier with his best throw standing at 49 feet, 5 inches. He surpassed that mark with a toss of 50 feet, 1 inch, to dominate the Muncie Central sectional, but was still seeded just eighth heading into the regional meet at North Central with only the top three athletes from that meet guaranteed a state berth.
Back made it into the finals at the regional at 49 feet, 9 inches, and then exploded on his fourth attempt of the evening. A career-best throw for the second straight week, this time at 51 feet, 5½ inches, vaulted him all the way into third place.
"I've picked up a lot the last couple of weeks," said Back, crediting the drills he's been doing both in practice and during competition. "My block (left) arm adds a foot, two feet, by itself if I have a good one. Usually when I throw it tends to hang down. I need to have it up and have my chest up at the finish."
Back will need everything to come together in order to have a chance to challenge for a top-nine finish that would put him on the medal podium and earn him a spot on the JCHS Wall of Fame.
His regional toss has him seeded 27th, 1¼ inches behind No. 26 seed Tony Albanese of Bloomington South. The No. 9 seed is Ben Davis' Timothy Colbert, who won the North Central regional title ahead of Back at 55 feet, 2½ inches.
Carmel's Langston Newton is the favorite in the event by more than two feet after launching the shot put 61 feet, ½ inch, in regional competition.
Those numbers aside, JCHS throwing coach Josh Swift said he thinks Back has the ability to challenge for a spot in the top nine.
"I think his capability is endless," said Swift, who competed for the University of Findlay. "I'd say anywhere from 52 to 54 (feet), that's where I'm looking. ... But if he goes more than 51 feet, 5 inches, that's going to put a big smile on both of our faces because that's a big goal — to have a (personal record) ..."
Back had been strong for the Patriots all season, consistently improving throughout the year after placing second in the sectional at 46 feet, 4¾ inches, in 2011. But a trip to the state finals was unexpected.
"It was a very big surprise, but a great surprise for us," said Garringer. "We were hoping next year he'd be ready. He was a little premature to get down there this year, so it worked out great for us.
"We're going to take what happens and enjoy the moment. It's going to be neat for him to be in front of that many people. You don't get that all the time in track."
Back ends a three-year state drought for the Patriot boys team, whose last competitors in Bloomington were Brandon Reynard and Dexter Shreve in 2008. The last Patriot boy to advance to the state finals in a throwing event was Joseph Vormohr in 2006.
"It feels great," said Back of the opportunity. "The more I think about it the more I realize how much of an honor it is. I never expected it.
"The all-around talent, it's just going to be so much higher. Some schools (during the regular season) might have one or two kids who might be pretty good, but every kid there has obviously earned his way there, so it's going to be tough.
"I'm extremely nervous for it, but excited too."[[In-content Ad]]