April 9, 2014
Former SUNYAC Outdoor Track & Field Athlete Continues Success Years After Collegiate Career
Dan Harpell first began his love for discus throwing in high school. He attended Windsor High School in Windsor, NY where he graduated in 1980. There Harpell set the discus throwing record which lasted an impressive 17 years before it was broken. From there Harpell moved on to the collegiate level where he chose to go to the College at Brockport and graduated in 1984 with a degree in physical education and a concentration in sport management. In his senior year at Brockport he won he State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) discus throw with a throw of 148.2 feet.
After college Harpell put his discus days behind him, or so he thought, to begin his career and start a family. He did sport management internships for both the New Jersey Nets and the New Jersey Generals which were part of the USFL football league. After his internships he went on to work as the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Drivers Independent Race Tracks in Weedsport, NY.
He returned home in 1989 to take over the family owned race track Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, NY. The speedway has been in his family ever since his grandfather built it in 1951. He is still involved with the track, but has taken a back seat to his brother Andrew who now owns it. Dan is set to become the new promoter of Black Rock Speedway in Dundee, NY where he will be changing the name of the track to Yates County Speedway.
Dan is a single father with three sons, Tyler 21, Tanner 18, and Tucker 16. In 2008 when Tyler was a freshman in high school he asked his father to teach him how to throw the discus. Dan had not thrown a discus in over 24 years, but when his son asked him for help he had no reservations. Tyler went on to become the Section 4 Class B Champion in both the discus and shot put.
As soon as Dan started to help his son with throwing, he couldn't help but think back to his glory days when he was a champion, and like any competitive athlete he wanted to get back in the game. In 2008 Dan entered the Empire State games where he won the silver medal. After having some success there he started to really get back into discus, he practiced throwing again and began to start training to compete in additional events. Since then Dan has won gold medals in the Empire State Games, Pennsylvania's Keystone State Games, the Florida State Senior Games, the Adirondack Championships and the Huntsman World Senior Games. He also received a Silver Medal in the State Games of America in Colorado Springs in 2009 and the Gold Medal in the State Games of America in Harrisburg last summer. Dan achieved All-American status each year he competed.
It was last summer when Dan had some struggles, as he started having some pain in his left arm and shoulder. He continued to compete and won the Gold Medal in the Empire State Senior Games, won the Gold in the State games of America, and also set a new meet record in the Nutmeg State games in Connecticut. As the season went on the pain started to intensify and while he was preparing for the Delaware Senior Games, the Nevada State Games, and most importantly a return back to the Huntsman World Senior Games in Utah, the pain was almost unbearable and limited his ability to throw.
“The day before the Delaware games the pain became so intense that it made me nauseous. It was the most pain I have ever experienced” Harpell said.
The pain was so bad he decided to miss the Delaware Games and went to see a doctor. There he got the bad news that he had ruptured a disc in his neck which was the same injury current Brocos' quarterback Peyton Manning had suffered a couple years ago. Lucky for Dan it was in his non-throwing arm which made it a lot easier for him to be able to throw again.
Dan had the surgery on November 13, 2013 and has been on the road to recovery ever since. At the end of March, Dan finished up with physical therapy and was given the green light to start light workouts to build up his strength. The doctors told him that he should be able to start throwing again in late April or early May. It is Dan's goal to be ready to compete again at the Empire State Senior Games in Cortland in early June and ultimately would like to get to a point where he can return to Utah in October to compete in the World Games again, where he won the gold medal in 2012. Dan Harpell is now 52 years old and no longer has any pain. In fact the doctors say that he may have a better range of motion now than he did before since they fixed the problem that has been troublesome for years.
Dan continues to help out young discus throwers as he volunteers as the throwing coach at his old high school in Windsor.
The SUNYAC wishes Dan all the best in his return to discus throwing and in all his future endeavors.
After college Harpell put his discus days behind him, or so he thought, to begin his career and start a family. He did sport management internships for both the New Jersey Nets and the New Jersey Generals which were part of the USFL football league. After his internships he went on to work as the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Drivers Independent Race Tracks in Weedsport, NY.
He returned home in 1989 to take over the family owned race track Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, NY. The speedway has been in his family ever since his grandfather built it in 1951. He is still involved with the track, but has taken a back seat to his brother Andrew who now owns it. Dan is set to become the new promoter of Black Rock Speedway in Dundee, NY where he will be changing the name of the track to Yates County Speedway.
Dan is a single father with three sons, Tyler 21, Tanner 18, and Tucker 16. In 2008 when Tyler was a freshman in high school he asked his father to teach him how to throw the discus. Dan had not thrown a discus in over 24 years, but when his son asked him for help he had no reservations. Tyler went on to become the Section 4 Class B Champion in both the discus and shot put.
As soon as Dan started to help his son with throwing, he couldn't help but think back to his glory days when he was a champion, and like any competitive athlete he wanted to get back in the game. In 2008 Dan entered the Empire State games where he won the silver medal. After having some success there he started to really get back into discus, he practiced throwing again and began to start training to compete in additional events. Since then Dan has won gold medals in the Empire State Games, Pennsylvania's Keystone State Games, the Florida State Senior Games, the Adirondack Championships and the Huntsman World Senior Games. He also received a Silver Medal in the State Games of America in Colorado Springs in 2009 and the Gold Medal in the State Games of America in Harrisburg last summer. Dan achieved All-American status each year he competed.
It was last summer when Dan had some struggles, as he started having some pain in his left arm and shoulder. He continued to compete and won the Gold Medal in the Empire State Senior Games, won the Gold in the State games of America, and also set a new meet record in the Nutmeg State games in Connecticut. As the season went on the pain started to intensify and while he was preparing for the Delaware Senior Games, the Nevada State Games, and most importantly a return back to the Huntsman World Senior Games in Utah, the pain was almost unbearable and limited his ability to throw.
“The day before the Delaware games the pain became so intense that it made me nauseous. It was the most pain I have ever experienced” Harpell said.
The pain was so bad he decided to miss the Delaware Games and went to see a doctor. There he got the bad news that he had ruptured a disc in his neck which was the same injury current Brocos' quarterback Peyton Manning had suffered a couple years ago. Lucky for Dan it was in his non-throwing arm which made it a lot easier for him to be able to throw again.
Dan had the surgery on November 13, 2013 and has been on the road to recovery ever since. At the end of March, Dan finished up with physical therapy and was given the green light to start light workouts to build up his strength. The doctors told him that he should be able to start throwing again in late April or early May. It is Dan's goal to be ready to compete again at the Empire State Senior Games in Cortland in early June and ultimately would like to get to a point where he can return to Utah in October to compete in the World Games again, where he won the gold medal in 2012. Dan Harpell is now 52 years old and no longer has any pain. In fact the doctors say that he may have a better range of motion now than he did before since they fixed the problem that has been troublesome for years.
Dan continues to help out young discus throwers as he volunteers as the throwing coach at his old high school in Windsor.
The SUNYAC wishes Dan all the best in his return to discus throwing and in all his future endeavors.
