Harden stands above crowd

The Wesley Chapel junior discus thrower has the winning touch.

By JAMAL THALJI

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 19, 2000

WESLEY CHAPEL -- He can deny it all he wants, but Matt Harden does stand out.

[Times photo: Dan McDuffie] "I really don't look at myself as a leader," says Wesley Chapel's Matt Harden, who won the discus title in last week's SAC meet.

It isn't just that Wesley Chapel is stocked with freshmen and sophomores in its inaugural year, so the few juniors like Harden have inherited the "big man on campus" roles usually occupied by seniors.

It's Harden himself, really. At 6 feet 3 and a muscular 185 pounds, Harden is one of the most imposing and strongest athletes at the school, whether in football, wrestling or track and field.

It's also the way the 17-year-old carries himself. After transferring from Dixie County High, he's been the top veteran no matter the sport. He proved it again at last week's Sunshine Athletic Conference meet, winning the discus.

"I don't really look at myself as a leader," Harden said. "I look at myself as an older guy than a role model for these guys. I'm just showing them what they need to do, what they need to work on. Showing them that the more you do at practice, the better you'll do at meets."

Sorry Matt. That's not the way the coaches see it.

"What a great kid," boys track coach Tony Lister said. "Physically, he's a lot stronger in every aspect. He's intelligent too. He's probably the best role model I've got on the track team. In any sport he's in, he's a role model."

Especially in the discus. Harden's goal is to return to the state meet and place this season in the discus. He'll get his first chance when Wesley Chapel competes in Thursday's Class 2A, District 7 meet at Central's Bears Den.

After winning at the SAC meet with a personal-best 129 feet, 7 inches, Harden enters as one of the favorites. Harden made it to the Class 2A state meet last year with a throw of 116 feet. Thursday, he's aiming for 140.

Last season, Harden didn't place at state. His goal is a top-five finish. Last year's 129-7 would have placed him in the top eight this season, but that was against a senior-laden field. "Just about everyone I threw against who went to state graduated," Harden said.

The discus may be Harden's specialty, but he also competes in the shot put and the long and triple jumps. On occasion, Lister has used Harden in the 200 meters and the 4x100 relay. "When he came down from Dixie County, he did all of the events up there," the coach said. "and around here against the competition, he does really well. He scores so many points for us. Like I've said before, he's my workhorse. Hands down, I would say he's the points leader on the team. I guess in baseball he would be your utility player."

Harden's father, Roy, also is a coach and teacher at Wesley Chapel and tutors the kids in the discus and shot put. But Lister said sometimes the younger Harden can show the kids how it's done.

"He's helped the kids throw the shot put and discus so much farther because he can show them stuff the coaches and I can't," Lister said. "Because he's physically able to do so much more."

Harden attributes his success more to repetition and practice than strength. Sure, he can bench about 270 pounds, but if he makes it to state, it will be form and technique that takes him there.

"He has a has a great opportunity to finish on top," Lister said.

Then, as Coach Harden walks by, Lister's voice picks up.

"He's a great kid," Lister said, "and I wish I had about 15 of him."

"Yeah, that's because you don't have to feed him," Roy Harden said. "If you did, you wouldn't say that."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.