Southeast Missouri State alumnus thrower Kevin Farley finished his career with Southeast last June, taking home a duo of top-10 finishes in two of his favorite events.

“That guy wasted no time working hard,” Southeast track and field coach, Eric Crumpecker, said.

Farley placed 10th and earned Second-Team All-American honors in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on June 1, and just three days later placed eighth in the discus throw and earned First-Team All-American honors.

In the final men's field event of the opening day, Farley posted a top throw of 18.83 meters during his second career outdoor championships appearance in shot put. A total of 24 individuals competed in the event that day.

As for tossing the discus, Farley closed out his career at Southeast with his best toss of the day measuring 57.90 meters.

“I went out there to have fun and just tried to outdo myself,” Farley said. “I wanted to throw some personal bests and compete. I knew that if I threw my personal bests, then at least I gave it everything I had.”

During his final season, Farley set new personal records in all three of his outdoor throwing events. He improved two school records he previously held, setting the outdoor shot put distance at 18.93 meters and hammer throw at 64.42 meters. His career best mark at discus measured in at 58.34 meters.

“Kevin left no stone unturned in his last year as a Redhawk,” Crumpecker said. “I would almost mark that guy as one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever gotten to coach. Even coming in as a freshman, Kevin always had a little bit more intensity when he did things, more than a lot of his other teammates, and I think that has a lot to do with the great leadership from the upperclassmen that really shaped him as an athlete.”

Southeast alumnus thrower Craig Robinson was one of the men who had a positive influence on Farley. During his senior year as a Redhawk in 2012, Robinson scored in three events at the Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships winning an OVC title in the shot put, taking third in the hammer throw and placing sixth in the discus.

To support Farley in his final meet of his Southeast career, Robinson flew out to Oregon to encourage his former teammate and watch him compete.

Farley said that one of his favorite parts of his postseason was the support of those who came to see him throw. A native of Springfield, Illinois. Farley’s family couldn’t make many of his meets, but his mom made sure to be there for her son during a few of his last competitions.

“She told me in the fall she would be at conference in Nashville, regionals in Kansas, and nationals in Oregon,” Farley said. “And she was there for it all and it meant the world to me. I also had my best friend Craig Robinson who was a former thrower here fly out too. He's consistently been there for me and supporting me and is the perfect example of those lifelong friends I've made here.”

Like Robinson did for Farley, Farley also has encouraged and motivated underclassmen throwers to continue to get better.

“These younger guys come in here not knowing what it takes to really be great,” Crumpecker said. “But they’ve had the chance to be a teammate with the Kevin Farley and he has put on display the sacrifice that it takes to be an All-American.”

Farley’s advice to Southeast students is to do everything they possibly can to be good at what they love.

“The world doesn’t let people get to the top if they’re not giving 100 percent,” Farley said. “If you want to achieve something, it’s up to how much work you put in.”

As of now, Farley is taking a year off from school and plans on training and continuing to throw. He plans to start graduate school within two years at an undecided institution earning a master’s degree in chemical engineering.