Many moods make up stellar Spartan

ADAMS CENTER — It's hard to believe that Than Harrington is capable of a Jekyll-and-Hyde transformation upon meeting him.

The affable giant of an athlete, dubbed "Capital T" by his teammates on the South Jefferson boys track and field team, appears to be all laughs at first glance.

But Harrington's jovial exterior belies a fierce competitor as he steps into the throwing circle with a shot wedged under his jaw.

"During competition you just don't want to get near him," Spartans coach John Arcaro said. "He's all focused and he wants to prove that he's the best that particular day. Once the competition's over, he's just a great kid and gets along with everyone. You want a thousand like that."

After meets, the 6-foot-3 Harrington helps his teammate Greg Burns in leading the Spartans in wild sing-alongs.

"When we go up we're pretty focused," Harrington said. "We want to be able to go up there, do what we have to do and come home with a win. On the way home we goof around, we sing songs, we're just goofy kids."

"They like to joke around like all high school kids," Arcaro said. "But the craziest thing is if he doesn't do his best. He just sits in the back and worries about it and thinks about what he can do to improve on himself."

Following the indoor season in which Harrington set the school record for the hammer toss, he has led South Jefferson to a 7-1 record and a second-place finish in the Frontier League championships this spring.

His longest toss in the shot put during the 2008 outdoor season was 45-2 — despite an injury to his elbow that he's been throwing through.

Harrington's teammates have relied on him to secure points in both the discus and shot put, even though he didn't even know those were events upon joining the team.

"I had no clue there was a field," Harrington said. "All I heard was track and running. So I came out here and coach said, 'So, how do you want to throw this?' I wasn't too crazy about throwing a 12-pound ball."

Harrington now considers the shot to be his favorite thing to throw, and touted assistant coach Nelson Moody's constant tutelage among the reasons for his dominance.

"I would have to say that without my throwing coach that I probably wouldn't be where I am today," said Harrington of Moody. "He's probably the only reason I've done as well as I have."

After staring down French cuisine on a school trip, Harrington should find the competition in the Section 3 Class B-2 meet Friday at Chittenango somewhat more satisfying.

"We went (to France)," Harrington said. "I got dehydrated, I got sick, I called my dad and he goes, 'Just keep hydrated.' So I said, 'Dad, I can't drink this stuff. It's horrible.' We didn't want to eat this French food, so we went to the local McDonald's and we loaded up and brought it to the hotel room."

Harrington signed with Houghton College in early May and intends to compete on the track and field team there next fall.