An Angel Rises In The Field
Joanna Levantis, Maryland Media Relations
4/16/2021
Every athlete’s story starts somewhere. The backyard basketball court. The sideline of a sibling’s soccer game. The bleachers of a ballpark on opening day.
Some of the most profound athletes, however, stumble upon the very sport that their name will eventually headline, by chance.
“When I was in the 7th grade, I was at track practice after school,” said senior track and field student-athlete Angel Nkwonta. “I was a sprinter.’’
That seventh-grade sprinter named Angel would go on to solidify her name as one of the greatest throwers in Maryland history.
“I really did not like running, so when they did hard workouts I would tell the coach, ‘Oh, I think I’m going to go over and practice throws today.’”
The track star quickly found her calling in the throws section of the field.
Nkwonta, now a graduate student in her final year of collegiate competition, set both the shot put and weight throw records in her first season as a Terrapin. An incredible feat, dominating both indoor throwing categories and shattering decades-old records set by Maryland legends such as Marita Walton.
“Every time I do set a new record and I pass by someone in the record book, I definitely look into reading about them and finding out more about them. Some have been in the Hall of Fame so it’s nice to see what they have done and how they contributed,” she said.
“It makes me feel good just to know that I now fall in the same category as some of the greats.”
Not only does Nkwonta fall into the same category of Maryland throwing greats, she now leads the way in both indoor events as the sole record holder. Set in January of 2021, in just her second meet as a Terrapin, Nkwonta threw the 20-pound weight 70-01.00 feet, making her No. 1 in Terps history.
“I was really excited that I executed what I wanted to do, but I wasn’t shocked that I threw that far. I knew that I was capable of breaking the record and wanted to push myself to accomplish that.”
The shot put record, however, came as a bit more of a shock. Nkwonta entered the 2021 indoor season boasting a personal-best mark of 50-11 ½. At the Big Ten Indoor Championships in March, she smashed her own record with a new high of 56-08.00, passing Marita Walton’s 1982 record.
“I didn’t know until my coach told me,” said Nkownta. “We were all super excited, my parents called me right after and it was a great moment.”
Her personality paired with that work ethic make her a coach’s dream come true. She never lets a bad day defeat her and my favorite part is her support for her teammates. I've seen her break school records in meets and be more excited that her teammates set a new personal best over her accolade. I think that speaks volumes to who she is as a person especially with just joining our team eight months ago, if you didn't know any better you would think she has been at Maryland since day one.Travis Coleman, Maryland Throws Coach
Nkwonta’s parents manage to call her after every meet to congratulate, support, and motivate her in her record-setting meets and all other meets along the way.
“They’ve always been really supportive through everything I’ve done, even when they didn’t necessarily know what I was doing at first in throws.”
Adi and Francis Nkwonta, both of Nigerian descent came to the United States where they settled and started their family in Portland, Ore. Angel, the second eldest of five siblings, attributed her parents’ constant support and encouragement throughout her lifetime to her success as an athlete.
“It’s funny they never knew much about track and field at the beginning, but they would always push me and my siblings to do sports,” Nkwonta said. “When we were little they didn’t know the specifics of sports so they signed me up for baseball not knowing that baseball was a boys' sport and softball was what the girls played. I was the only girl on my team, but they just wanted to get me out there.”
The strong family foundation set by the Nkwonta family motivated all five of the athletic siblings and built a strong bond along the way.
“My family actually moved from Seattle when I started my undergrad at the University of Washington. They ended up moving to the east coast to the Baltimore area.”
“I missed them a lot in those four years, I remember coming out to Maryland for Christmas to be with the family, so when it came time to graduate, my coach made a few calls to other throws coaches, one of which was Coach Travis (Coleman).”
“Coach Andrew Ninow (Washington’s throws coach) and I know each other from his time at Kentucky,” said Maryland throws coach Travis Coleman. “When Angel mentioned she wanted to move closer to her family he encouraged her to reach out to me about finishing her career in College Park.”
The COVID recruiting process entailed a series of phone calls confirming Nkwonta’s spot on the team before she had even stepped foot on campus for the first time in the fall for practice.
“Since stepping on campus it’s as if her mindset has been a ‘what's next’ attitude,” said Coleman. “Her personality paired with that work ethic make her a coach’s dream come true. She never lets a bad day defeat her and my favorite part is her support for her teammates. I've seen her break school records in meets and be more excited that her teammates set a new personal best over her accolade. I think that speaks volumes to who she is as a person especially with just joining our team eight months ago, if you didn't know any better you would think she has been at Maryland since day one.”
Every time I do set a new record and I pass by someone in the record book, I definitely look into reading about them and finding out more about them. Some have been in the Hall of Fame so it’s nice to see what they have done and how they contributed.Angel Nkwotna
It makes me feel good just to know that I now fall in the same category as some of the greats.
A seemingly perfect fit to the Maryland track and field family, Nkwonta settled in alongside the throws team with ease, giving coach Coleman a sigh of relief.
“The thought crept into my head that I hoped I didn't mess up on this decision because I told Coach Valmon to trust me,” said Coleman. “Luckily the mighty midget (as Angel is affectionately known by) didn't make a liar out of me and has far exceeded anything I could have expected.”
The diminutive, but mighty 5-foot-5 throwing phenom quickly gained the respect of her teammates and the love of the Maryland track and field community. Her impressive development and growth did not go unnoticed.
“I think she threw 45 feet in high school and this past indoor season she threw over 56 feet. That doesn't happen without hours and hours of hard work and thousands of reps honing your craft. The beauty in our sport is success comes in all shapes and sizes in all events, the work ethic and mindset are what set you apart,” said Coleman.
Nkwonta’s athletic success is a product of her work ethic, driven mentality, and the ability to achieve her goals.
“She has set reasonable and realistic goals throughout her career and continued to build on them. I would venture to say her first goal wasn't to be an All-American, but rather to be selected for the travel party for a big meet she didn't make her freshmen year. That then built into wanting to make the final at a big meet and so on and so forth until the goal of becoming an All-American was the next reasonable goal to attack,” said Coleman.
Four years later, one of her goals is in fact, to be an All-American, and possibly even an Olympian, but first; “I’d love to hold the outdoor records for shot put and hammer. Making it to indoor Nationals really gives me the confidence that I’ll be able to make it again for the outdoor season,” said Nkwonta.
As far as the legacy of Angel Nkwotna goes, she will be etched in the record books as the best thrower in Maryland women’s history, but before her final collegiate season comes to a close she is certain; “I’m not done yet. I have so much more left to accomplish here.”
