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Courtesy of Radford University

Radford University junior weight thrower Kyle Morse said it's taken a great deal of discipline for him to learn to clear his mind and not over think his throws. He's now better able to keep them in bounds.

RADFORD -- For Radford University weight thrower Kyle Morse, the words "Hammer Time" has nothing to do with MC Hammer or his 1990 hit song "U Can't Touch This."

Instead, Morse throws a hammer and does it well. The latest for Morse, the NCAA Division I No. 20-ranked thrower, was a victory last week at the East Region meet. Next up is a trip to the national championship meet Wednesday through Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.

"I knew right when I let it go that it would advance me," said Morse, who came in as the No. 5 seed. "It surprised me though; I didn't expect it to go as far as it did."

On his initial throw Morse hurled the 16-pound hammer 66.35 meters (217 feet 8 inches). As the first thrower of the day, he set a standard none of the other competitors could match. The toss surpassed his personal best by nearly 2 meters.

"We didn't even plan on winning," Morse said. "All I was trying to do was get in a good throw so I could advance."

Morse, a junior, said that in the past when he's gone for the big throw he's had problems producing a valid toss. In trying too hard he would scratch, throw the hammer out of bounds or hurl it straight into the cage. He said it's taken a great deal of discipline for him to learn to clear his mind and not over think his throws.

"Throwing is actually very similar to golf," Morse said. "I just try to hit my positions, feel the rhythm and let muscle memory take over. I'm on the right page now. I feel good for nationals."

The men's hammer throw has been contested in the Olympic games since 1900, and women's throws were included in 2000. Early incarnations of the event utilized an actual hammer, hence the name. Now throws are done with a "hammer" consisting of a metal ball connected to a wire with a handle at the opposite end. The thrower spins the hammer above his head while turning up to four times to generate momentum. Once the optimum speed is obtained, he releases the hammer at an angle that will allow it to fly at maximum distance while staying within the boundaries.

"I get a lot of people asking if I get dizzy," Morse said with a laugh. "I guess they get it confused with the discus. I only turn three times. Some people do four. It's not enough to get dizzy."

A native of Hingham, Mass., Morse was a self-taught discus thrower in high school but made the switch to hammer while at Radford. His freshman year he picked it up as a second event but wound up placing higher there than in the discus. As a sophomore he still split his training, but he began to push the hammer and was rewarded with a 10-meter increase in distance. Since then he's been "all about the hammer."

"I owe it all to my coaches," Morse said. "I think I got to be better at the hammer than the discus because I got to learn it from scratch from the great coaches here at Radford. I didn't have to unlearn bad habits or relearn technique like I did with the discus."

Morse credits his coaches at every stage of his development. His transition to collegiate athletics went smoothly because he was introduced early on by one of his high school coaches to proper core strength training and injury prevention. Instead of burning out on the weight lifting and plate twists and ab work, he embraced it. That attitude and dedication is paying off with at trip to nationals.

"I try not to get too wrapped up in the competition aspect of it," Morse said. "I do much better when I just relax and not take things too seriously. I usually enjoy the travel, though. I'll probably splurge on dinner somewhere. I hear they've got some pretty good steak houses out there."

When the national championships roll around this week, Morse doesn't expect to change up his approach.

"I'm going into this meet with the same mentality as I did in the regional meet: to advance. If I throw what I know I'm capable of I'll advance. Anything extra, be it winning or placing, will be an added bonus."

Morse hopes to continue the tradition of strong throwers at Radford such as Brian Richotte and Jeremiah Spence. At Drake Stadium in Des Moines he'll have a chance to solidify his place among the school's all-time elites.

Should he do well in the event, he may even do a victory dance. Parachute pants are optional.