While some envision the sport as monotonous and ungainly, Lenz believes the hammer as a strong aesthetic appeal: "It's a beautiful thing to see someone throw the hammer well. A good thrower is fast, strong, and graceful. It's explosive."

Lenz also sees some negative aspects about the sport. "You have to put up with being isolated to be a hammer thrower," he complains, referring to the event's being held outside the stadium during meets. "In the NCAAs, where he finished 7th overall and 3rd for Americans in 1979, "we had only 200 spectators, compared to the 15,000 watching the running."

Lenz contrasts he United States' neglect of the hammer throw with its popularity in Europe and Russia, where the hammer is a "glamorous event, "Lenz says. "In Russia everybody wants to be a hammer thrower," he adds. "Imagine if all our Mean Joe Greens decided to throw hammers instead of footballs."

Up Close Look

Lenz would like to travel to Russia for the 1980 Olympics this summer (he's against the boycott) to get a first-hand view of the Russians' different attitude toward the sport and the intense training methods.

Whether or not Lenz decides to continue throwing amidst the rigors of Law School, he will leave Harvard satisfied with having spend four enjoyable years with the track team. "Track has been the most consistent thing in my life here," says Lenz, recalling that "I must have walked over that bridge to practice a million times. I'm going to miss that."