May 4, 2006

FT. WORTH, Texas - Talent comes in all shapes and sizes, but for Joe Brown of the TCU track and field team it is in the form of a spear - the javelin, that is. Brown, who lettered four years in football and swimming in high school, didn't compete in track until his junior year. That's when he picked up the javelin and it was love at first toss.

Originally from Overland Park, Kan., Brown had a stellar freshman campaign. He collected a gold medal in his first collegiate action with a first-place finish at the Dr Pepper Invitational, and finished the 2005 season as the school record holder in the new javelin (202-07, 61.75m). He also garnered runner-up honors at the Conference USA Outdoor Championships and was an NCAA regional qualifier.

Success continued on the field for the sophomore thrower in 2006. He opened the outdoor season at the same meet (Dr Pepper Invitational) with a first-place finish again, this time shattering his own personal-best mark. His toss of 222-05 (67.79m) rewrote the school record book and established a new Mountain West Conference all-time record.

Brown has also found success in the classroom as he sports a 3.80 cumulative grade point average in business. He was featured in March on the WB33 television station as its Student-Athlete of the Week for his academic and athletic achievements.

The following is a list of questions and answers from Brown.

Q. Why did you choose the javelin?
A. I played football and was on the swim team all four years in high school. I joined the track team my junior year, and picked the javelin because I thought it would be easy. Little did I know that I would like the javelin a lot and also be good at it.

Q. What has been your biggest adjustment competing in the javelin at the Division I level?
A. It is definitely harder on the body and more competitive at this level. It also requires more work and effort year round to compete in the javelin. Also, there are not many athletes competing in this event so the competition field is smaller and tougher.

Q. You're from Overland Park, Kansas. Why did you choose TCU?
A. TCU has a very good track program, and I was presented with a good opportunity to walk on. Also, TCU has a good business school. I'm majoring in entrepreneurial business with an emphasis in sports marketing.

Q. In your first year at TCU, you set a school record in the javelin. Then, you opened the 2006 outdoor season last month with a new school record as well as a Mountain West Conference record. Do you feel pressure to do better than the previous year?
A. I don't feel any pressure to perform better from one year to the next. If anything, I'm still learning the logistics involved in throwing the javelin.

Q. Do you have other hobbies or interests outside of track & field and academics?
A. Outside of track and class, I'm involved in different organizations with my fraternity Pi Kappa Phi, the Student Foundation and Frog Camp in the summer. Also, I'm a resident advisor at Milton-Daniel Hall.

Q. Is there anything that motivates or inspires you to perform better on the field or in the classroom?
A. I don't seek anything to motivate or inspire me when it comes to academics or athletics. I get personal satisfaction from knowing that if I work hard at whatever it is I need to, then I will succeed. One thing that has been instilled in me by my parents is that in order to be successful, I have to work hard.

Q. What is one thing most people don't know about you?
A. There are a couple of things most people don't know about me. For one, I don't like to watch scary movies by myself. Also, I can't stand anything that's small and crawls - basically, anything that resembles an insect or rodent.