RUSTON – Shot put. Discus. Weight. Hammer. You name it,
Rhea Thompson can sling it.
The junior track and field star at Louisiana Tech has been doing it ever since the eighth grade. And as with practically anything, the throws have gone farther and farther with time and experience.
"My first track and field even was shot put at an indoor track meet at the University of Houston," Rhea recalled. "I did horrible. But it was fun."
Also with time and experience, new objects were added to her arsenal.
Let's break them down.
The shot put is an event using a spherical ball if you will that weighs four kilograms (8.8 pounds) for females. Rhea's PR (abbreviation for personal record) is 47-6.25 feet for outdoor set as a freshman in 2017 at the C-USA Championships and 48-9.5 feet for indoor at the 2019 C-USA Indoor Championships this year.
The discus – Rhea's favorite – is an outdoors-only event using a disc that weighs one kilogram (2.2 pounds) for females. Her PR is 162-6 feet, far enough for a fifth-place finish and four points at the 2018 C-USA Championships.
The weight throw is an indoors-only event. Basically, it is a 20-pound ball with a short handle attached that you hurl. Her PR is 59-5.5 feet which she accomplished this past season at the KMS Invitational, a mark that ranks fourth in program history.
Then there is the hammer throw – not Rhea's fave – which she doesn't do often. It's an outdoors-only event similar to the weight throw, except the four-kilogram ball is attached to a long steel wire. Her PR is 148 feet, recorded at the Jim Mize Invitational inside the throwing cage that sadly got mangled by the EF3 tornado a week ago.
About to complete her junior year at LA Tech, Rhea has achieved 17 top five finishes. As for choosing to come to Ruston in the first place (pun intended), it was an instant connection.
"My former coach in high school went to Louisiana Tech so he introduced me to the school," said the Lake Charles native. "I came on an unofficial visit. Loved the team, loved the coach.
"I wanted to come back again so I did on an official visit, and it was even better than the first one. Then I came back again, just because. I liked the environment, the campus, the housing. I am here, and I am happy."
Her happiest moments when it comes to track and field? Number 1 happened back in February when she earned a spot on the podium to receive her third-place medal in the shot put at the C-USA Indoor Championships.
Another happened at the home event a month ago.
"I threw [personal record] 51 meters (approximately 167 feet) in the discus," Rhea said. "I was so shocked I stepped out of the ring, and it didn't count. Once it lands, you can walk out the back, but I walked out the front. So mad. It was still one of my favorites because I knew I could do it."
Did we mention that Rhea has been making all of these throws with a torn labrum in her throwing arm?
"I was playing soccer my sophomore year of high school and I dislocated and tore my right shoulder," Rhea remembered. "Have always been hesitant on getting surgery because I don't want to be out of competition. Just kept getting rehab."
As for academics, Rhea has been quite good at that too. The kinesiology major has been named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll three times and received the Commissioner's Academic Medal as a freshman for the 2016-17 academic year.
On pace to graduate in May 2020, the friendly, outgoing thrower has enjoyed meeting new people at Tech and at track meets. She'll admittedly miss her teammates – aka her family – the most after college is over.
As far as pursuing a career.
"I hope to get an internship for chiropractic's with the hope of getting into chiropractic school," Rhea said. "Other than that, I don't have any plans. Wherever life takes me."
