J.C. Lambert has All-American aspirations, but knows he faces an up-hill battle to be the best.
“I’m not trying to be negative here, but my chances of winning are the same as me winning the lottery,” Lambert explained. “The national college leader is ahead of me by nine feet, but hey, anything can happen.”
Lambert is one of six Southern Illinois University Carbondale student-athletes striving for All-American status at this weekend’s NCAA National Indoor Championships held in Fayetteville, Ark.
The former Harrisburg Bulldog will represent SIU in the weight throw, where he is currently ranked ninth nationally. Lambert’s best toss of the season is a 69-foot, 2-inch heave.
At the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships, Lambert earned a pair of titles, taking home the top prize in the weight throw and shot put.
In the weight throw, the sophomore picked up the win by virtue of a 66-foot, 5-inch toss. He then posted a personal best and earned a conference championship in the shot put with a championship-winning attempt that measured 58 1/4 inches.
Lambert, who has been working on his technique week-in and week-out throughout the season, said he was not nervous because he felt no pressure going into the championships, adding he just wanted a chance to compete.
“I always set my expectations high and I want to finish in the top five,” Lambert said.
When Lambert was a track and field standout at Harrisburg High School, he finished fifth in the state in discus. His 169-foot launch helped pave the way for him to being named Athlete of the Year.
Lambert looks to add some more hardware to his trophy case this weekend, even though the moment has yet to completely sink in.
“It still hasn’t hit me that I’m one of the best in the country right now. I’m still pinching myself to see if this is a dream. I never thought I would be this good as young as I am,” Lambert said.
