Following runner-up effort with 1.75-kilogram discus at USATF U20 Championships, See throws personal-best 209-9 (63.93m) with 1.6-kilogram implement in last tuneup ahead of competition in Puerto Rico, where he seeks podium finish

By Landon Negri for DyeStat

Brendon See has never competed in a track and field meet outside of the U.S., and certainly not one with the name “Pan-Am” attached to it.

Yet, there is little pressure this week.

For a student-athlete more than ready to transition to the next phase of his track career, capturing high school state titles this year was the chore. Puerto Rico is the bonus.

“To be honest, a kid like him has had a mark on his back the whole season,” said Mike O’Dell, See’s throwing coach since 2021.

“For him to have that stress off his back ... once he had that off his shoulders, being able to see him relax and go play around has been a great mentality for him.”

See gets that opportunity beginning Saturday at the Pan American U20 Championships in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

Already a double California state champion in the shot put and discus as a high school senior this season at JSerra High in San Juan Capistrano, See will try his hand at international competition before heading to the University of Oklahoma.

See qualified for this week’s competition by finishing second July 8 at the USATF U20 Championship at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. See’s mark was 192 feet, 6 inches (58.68m), though at a July 21 meet at Cal State Fullerton, he threw a personal-best of 209-9 (63.93m).

It is a long year, as it is for any athlete in a postseason that starts with high school competition and goes through the summer before college begins.

“I’ve definitely had a lot of competition this year and it’s been a long season,” See said. “I feel like I’m pretty prepared going into it. I’ve had a couple of weeks between competitions this summer that have given me some breaks.”

See has a track record of handling adjustments well, and this summer has been no different. His transfer from Dana Hills High to JSerra before his junior year, including a mandatory sit-out period, was done with ease.

See worked through minor injuries this year with little trouble and has gone to a bigger disc smoothly – he’s throwing 1.75 kilograms now as opposed to the high school disc of 1.6 kilograms.

In college, he’ll throw a 2.0-kilogram implement.

“There isn’t that much of a difference, but you can definitely feel the difference with the rhythm and timing,” See said.

See won the discus at eight of his first 10 high school competitions this season. He topped 200 feet for the first time in winning the discus at the state meet as a junior.

As a senior, he won the state title May 27 at 196-4 (59.84m), before throwing 205-3 (62.56m) to take third June 15 at the Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward Field.

See switched back to the 1.6-kilogram disc one more time at a Cal State Fullerton Titan Summer Series meet and threw a personal-best 209-9.

It was becoming clear to O’Dell that See would succeed no matter the weight.

“I looked at him one practice and said, ‘Brendon, it’s going the same distance,’” O’Dell said.

JSerra head coach Chase Frazier agreed with that evaluation.

“He throws the college disc just as well, if not better, than the high school one,” Frazier said. “That’s why he was able to show up at nationals and compete with those college guys.”

See squares off Saturday against Jamaican athlete Kobe Lawrence, a silver medalist shot putter at last year’s World Athletics U20 Championships, and Purdue freshman Seth Allen, a former Georgia high school state discus champion who prevailed ahead of See with a 197-11 (60.32m) performance at the USATF U20 Championships.

More than anything, O’Dell said, See has a knack for elevating his game as the competition gets tougher.

“Without a doubt, it’s something that’s hard to coach,” O’Dell said. “You can give him pointers. You can give your athletes some ideas on what it’s going to be like, but they’ve got to feel it themselves. He’s always been a guy that’s very nice to his competition, but he’s drilled and focused.”

This week is the first time See is traveling out of the country. Perhaps the hardest thing about that was securing the passport, where he said he saw a lot of the inside of a post office, sarcastically calling it a “fun experience.”

That’s about as animated as it gets for See, who O’Dell said is often out on the water fishing when he calls to talk to him.

See said his plan at Oklahoma is to redshirt the winter indoor season and compete outdoors in the spring. The following year, he said, he’ll flip the plan and redshirt the outdoor season.

As for this week?

“You know, I would love to go over 200 feet with the 1.75,” he said. “Just being able to place would be the goal for me.

“I’m super excited for it,” he added.

O’Dell likes his chances.

“For him to go out there and compete like he did, and build on those marks to that, now that gives him the confidence,” O’Dell said. “He wants to see what he can do at Pan Ams.

“He’s in tune,” O’Dell added. “He’s ready.”