It was a culmination of hard work, dedication and belief in herself, belief that she truly was the best one out there. All of that spurred Coventry’s Mia Hoskins to her individual title in the hammer throw at last weekend’s New Balance Nationals in Philadelphia.
But there was something else, too. Particularly over the last two months, there’s been something else that ignited the flame for Hoskins each time she stepped into the circle and looked out at the open field in front of her. It’s something that none of her competitors, her coaches, the spectators or anyone else could see.
But the Knotty Oaker standout could. She could see it vividly. It was her older brother Nicolas.
“His strength definitely helped me through the season,” she said. “He was definitely the strongest person that I know.”
Nicolas, who was born with epilepsy and cerebral palsy, sadly passed away at the age of 28 at the beginning of the outdoor season. After being in and out of the hospital over the last year due to complications from his disabilities, he died at his home on April 13 with his family by his side.
It’s always hard to lose a loved one. especially a brother that inspired his sister in so many ways throughout his life. Like Hoskins, Nicolas was also an athlete. He was a frequent participant in the Special Olympics, competing in several sports, including Bocce, the softball throw, and track & field.
“He did a ton of Special Olympic sports,” Hoskins said. “Because of him, I was very, very involved in the Special Olympics. I did it with the kids in my high school that had disabilities. At the beginning of the season, after it all happened, coach Mike (O’Loughlin) said to me, ‘Now you just dedicate this season to him.’ I trained a lot harder. I practiced every day, gym after that. I definitely pushed myself more because I wanted to do it for him.”
In a perfect tribute to her older brother, the Columbia-bound thrower manufactured a fitting and awe-inspiring conclusion to her high school career, one that included her first individual crown at the State Meet on June 7 and a national title in Philly two weeks later.
O’Loughlin, along with his daughter Ashley, have coached three other national champions in the last four years (Zack Del Sasso, Liangie Calderon, Sophia Gallucci). He recalled the first few times seeing his fourth when she was a middle-schooler and her brother Jason was a top thrower on the boys’ team.
“I used to see her all the time and I was like, ‘Are you ready to throw, you ready to throw?’ She wanted no part of it,” he laughed. “Even freshman year, she didn’t come out for indoor. I was like, ‘Looks like she’s not going to throw for us. She wanted no part of it. Then she showed up for outdoor and she’s done nothing but worked hard since she came out.”
After finishing third in the weight throw at the indoor states and fourth at the Nike Indoor Nationals, Hoskins journey to reaching the top of the podium at New Balance this outdoor campaign began the first Saturday in April at Conley Stadium. Under less-than-ideal conditions at the Knights of Columbus Relays, she won the season-opener with a toss of 173-6, a best by eight feet!
Although she took runner-up honors with a toss that was just two feet further than KofC meet, O’Loughlin felt the turning point for his star thrower came at the Sgt. Brian St. Germain Invitational on May 3. Hoskins was second to Woonsocket’s Adelaide Caron, the defending state titlist, with a best of 175-9.
“Last year, she started to show the real potential in how good she could be. Did I think she could throw close to 190 feet? No, I figured she could throw 175-180 (feet) and that would be a phenomenal career for high school,” O’Loughlin said. “When we were at St. Germain, and she threw 175 (feet), I started to look at film. Ashley and I looked at film and I was like, ‘You know what, I think we can change a few things. I think she has a lot more in her. I think she can do it. I think she can throw 190 (feet).”
“The St. Germain meet was great for me.” Hoskins said. “I had a PR of 175 (feet) and coach was telling me that entire meet to just flatten the ball a little bit because it was very, very steep. so it was going higher. He wanted it to go out more, After that, I was like, ‘I really think I can do this. I can definitely go over 180 (feet) a little bit.’ That meet gave me a lot of confidence.”
For the most part, the remainder of the season finished just the way she wanted. It did experience a slight hiccup on May 18 when Hoskins fouled out of the Southern Division Championships, a meet she was the overwhelming favorite.
But rather than dwell on her performance, O’Loughlin got a chance to witness the true resilience of his thrower, who now was more determined than ever to succeed in her specialty.
Hoskins followed the divisionals by finishing second to Caron at the Class A Championships with another best of 178-7. She then had a succession of victories in her remaining four meets – the Mount Pleasant Invitational, the State Meet, New England’s and New Balance.
Six days after the divisionals, she won Mount Pleasant with a state-leading and PR of 180-7. She then captured the states with a more than seven-foot best of 188-0.
“I didn’t have the best training week (leading up to the division meet),” she said. “I wasn’t expecting much. I should be used to the Coventry circle, but I was struggling to work the ball.,” she said. After fouling that meet, I was like, ‘Okay, I got my fouled out over with.’ I already fouled out this year at the (New Balance) indoor nationals. The week after, I did so much better. I was working the ball a lot better. It was just an off week for me. The Monday after that meet, the first practice I was like, ‘I’m fine.’ It was just a rough day.”
“Right after (the division meet), that whole week she got better,” O’Loughlin noted. “I always knew she had it physically. It was mentally. How strong was she going to be after the division meet? Next week at class, she was leading until Addy’s last throw beat her by a foot. That was a PR that day. Then we get to the states and she throws 188 (feet), two 187s and a 182. We knew she had it in her.”
Did her first 188-footer catch her coaches by surprise? Not really, according to Ashley O’Loughlin.
During training. heavier balls were used in practice to work on form. Lighter balls were used later to develop speed. The standard high school hammer is 4 kilograms.
“She was putting the 2.5 (kilograms) easily over 200. feet, which is normally a good indicator of a high 180 (foot), low 190 (foot) throw,” Ashley said. “We weren’t surprised when she threw that 188 at states. We were really happy about it, but weren’t shocked. I know that was kind of shocking for people. I know others probably didn’t think she had it in her, but we did based on her really strong practices. After class, her practices were so good. We just kind of tweaked a thing here and there.”
Hoskins could sense something special was going to happen at states, but was somewhat startled at how far she threw to win her title.
“I knew something big was coming,” she said. “My goal for the season was the 180s. I was hoping to throw 180s. I really wanted to do that before I left. I wasn’t really expecting 188 at states, but I knew I could. Honestly at states, I was able to do what coach Mike had been telling me and I was able to perform right and really work on the speed. It just worked.”
At the Nationals, Hoskins appeared to win her title on her first throw with a then meet record of 186-6. She held the lead until the sixth and final throw when Virginia’s Amelia Bawcombe of Alexandria City unleashed a PR of 187-5. Bawcombe’s final throw bested her best prior to the competition by 22 feet!
“That girl was clearly in a groove,” O’Loughlin said. “She was just throwing PR after PR. Her PR was 165 (feet) coming into the meet. She had a 182 and 181 (foot throw). She then throws her last throw and it’s 187 (feet). I didn’t think it was. Then I saw it on the board. She was locked in. She was amazing.”
“Going into the sixth round, right before (Bawcombe) threw, I asked coach Mike, ‘Do you think this girls can pass me right now?’ I was trying to calm myself from panicking,” Hoskins recalled. “Coach Mike was like, ‘No way, she’s already had a big PR. It’s going to be really, really hard. She then walks into the circle and does it. I was like, ‘We just go to go from here.’”
Hoskins didn’t have too much time to think about what just happened. She followed Bawcombe just a few minutes later. While not technically flawless, she was able to deliver the clincher with her clutch throw and eight-inch PR.
“When it landed, I knew it was deep,” O’Loughlin said. “I just didn’t know how deep it was because I was behind the circle. It seemed like an eternity waiting for the number to flash up on the board. When it came in at 188, it was unreal. Not many athletes, I don’t care who you are, even professionals, can’t come back from leading the whole meet and then (someone) goes ahead of you on your last throw, and you have to beat her and throw a PR to do it, and she does it.”
After the passing of her brother, Hoskins was given a special memento as a way of honoring Nicolas. It was given to her by her mom’s best friend.
“She gave us cardinal pins to wear at his funeral,” Hoskins said. “My mom’s mother died before I was born, It was always a symbol. Whenever she saw a cardinal, she said that was her mom. Right after (Nicolas’s) passing, we were looking out the window and there was a cardinal in the tree. I wore that cardinal pin on my left shoulder, right before competition at the states and the nationals.”
It’s hard not to imagine that Nicolas’s spirit was not there during her two biggest meets of the season. It’s also not hard to imagine that up above the clouds, her older brother is beaming with pride right now.
