Redshirt senior thrower Jeff Kluge didn’t win the weight throw event at the Iowa State Holiday Preview on Dec. 11. But he did manage the second-best performance in Marquette history in that event with his throw of 58 feet and 3 inches.

“It’s pretty cool to be up there,” Kluge said. “It’s nice to hit it early in the season, and now I’m hoping for more later on in the season.”

As Kluge threw the 35-pound weight, he knew it had a chance to be a solid throw but didn’t know it would be the second best in school history.

“A lot of things felt like they were going right,” Kluge said of his throw. “Going into the meet, I knew I could throw it that far.”

Associate head coach and throwers coach Michael Koenning wasn’t surprised with Kluge’s performance.

“He’s been throwing really well in practice, and he brought that to the meet,” Koenning said. “It was almost a given that he’d throw well in the meet if he did what he did in practice.”

Being number two on the list doesn’t satisfy Kluge. He wants to surpass Dan Fax’s mark of 62 feet and 7.75 inches set in 1999. The task won’t be easy but Kluge is up for it.

“It’s going to take putting all the pieces together to do it,” Kluge said. “A little bit of luck wouldn’t hurt either.”

Kluge is optimistic he can break the all-time Marquette mark, especially since he knows he has room to improve.

“My finish needs to be stronger,” Kluge said. “I get moving pretty fast and get pulled out of position. I need to get my speed under control in order to throw it as far as I need to.”

Koenning said as the season progresses, Kluge will get more repetitions, which will help fix his technique errors.

Redshirt junior thrower Joseph Kohut said Kluge’s strength and natural athletic ability are what make him a successful thrower.

“Jeff’s by far the strongest student athlete at Marquette,” Kohut said. “He’s also a naturally gifted athlete. When we’re messing around before practice, whether shooting hoops or throwing around a football, he does pretty well. He’s pretty talented beyond the throwing ring.”

Kluge said this type of throw this early in the season has altered his expectations for the rest of the season.

“My distance goal goes up a bit after this one,” Kluge said. “In terms of preparation, practice or what I want to do at conference, that doesn’t change.”

Kluge said if everything works out, he’ll break the school’s all-time mark at the Big East Indoor Championships on Feb. 20.

Koenning hopes Kluge breaks the mark at conference, as well. He said in order to place well at conference Kluge will need to throw well over 60 feet — something he’s confident will happen because Kluge has improved the average distance of his throws.

“You’re only as good as your average throw when it comes to conference,” Koenning said. “As a younger thrower, Jeff was a bit more erratic. Now, each throw feels like it could be a personal record.”