Lincoln’s Izzy Van Veldhuizen competes in the shot put at a meet earlier this season. Van Veldhuizen holds the top marks in the state in both the discus and shot put.
Izzy Van Veldhuizen thrives on competition. That quality has helped the Lincoln senior find success in multiple sports, including basketball, which Van Veldhuizen will play in college at Augustana.
But while she still has a few more months in her athletic prep career, the current goal is to win championships in the discus and shot put at the state track meet. She’s well on her way.
“The other day out at Mitchell, she threw [the discus] 119 feet and then in the finals, the last two throwers went 122, 123,” said Coach Jim Jarovski. “Then Izzy steps up and bombs out a 136 — her best all-time.”
It gets better. Van Veldhuizen went up to assistant coach Brian Bechard and said simply, “I don’t like to lose.”
Van Veldhuizen currently owns the top marks in the state in both the discus (136 feet, 6 inches) and shot put (43-6).
Jarovski gave up coaching individual sprints this year, allowing bit more time with his field athletes.
“I’m over there more, and there’s a calming influence Izzy has over those other girls,” Jarovski said. “They’re young girls, and she’s one of the top athletes in South Dakota, as a standout in three different sports. The other kids look up to her — she’s a leader. And her competitiveness rubs off.”
Izzy Van Veldhuizen | Lincoln High
• Senior
• Standout in basketball, volleyball and track & field
• Several shot put and discus titles this season; holds top marks in the state
• Augustana basketball recruit
