Photo credit: Travis Khachatoorian/Pomona College

--Courtesy of Pomona College News--
 

The crack of a metal bat reverberates around Pomona College this time every year, that unmistakable ping emanating from Alumni and Wig Beach fields the sweetest spring symphony.

William Marquart ’26, men’s track and field

The symptoms started appearing early last fall, each more ominous than the last.

A burly lineman and thrower his first three years at Pomona, William Marquart ’26 lost 45 pounds between September and October. He’d convinced himself a stomach bug was to blame. Surely his muscle mass would return once he recovered.

But why was he having trouble concentrating?

And why couldn’t he sleep?

And why was his vision deteriorating?

“This will all go by,” he thought.

Only when the symptoms became unbearable did Marquart go to the hospital. He was admitted to the ICU immediately. Told it was a miracle he could still walk.

“You should be in a coma right now,” he recalls a doctor saying.

Marquart, a biology major from Woodway, Washington, was diagnosed with severe diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening medical emergency requiring immediate and monitored care. Having dealt with autoimmune conditions his entire life—vitiligo, hypothyroidism—he’d gotten used to downplaying warning signs.

“But last semester everything finally caught up with me,” he says.

Once diagnosed and on the proper medication, Marquart returned to the weight room to regain his strength. Doctors recommended he limit himself to 1,300 calories a day, an impossible charge for a 280-pound athlete who needs north of 5,500 calories a day to throw competitively.

Fully healthy this spring, Marquart says he’s stronger than he was last May, when he became the first Sagehens thrower in 40 years to put the shot farther than 50 feet.

“A big part of throws is body awareness,” he says. “It’s making sure your body is at its peak, and you’re not just strong, but also athletic. You see plenty of strong people try and fail in these events because they don’t know how to use that strength properly.”

While throwing the shot, discus, javelin and hammer can get repetitive, Marquart uses each practice to hone the quirks of his implement and avoid falling into any bad habits.

After becoming the first men’s thrower since 2017 to etch his name in the Sagehens record book last season, Marquart’s newest personal records are replacing program marks previously held for decades.

He reached 55’10.5” in the shot put on March 20, a distance second only to Pomona-Pitzer Hall of Famer Ray Fogg ’75, whose record toss of 58’10.5” in 1974 remains the oldest track and field mark in Sagehens history.

Elsewhere on the field, Marquart’s top distances in the javelin (187’10”) and discus (151’7”) this spring rank eighth and ninth all-time, respectively.

“Will brings deep thoughtfulness and explosive quickness to his throwing,” Throws Coach Kirk Reynolds says. “To have success in all four throws is remarkable.”

When Marquart’s not refining his throwing technique, he’s studying for the MCAT, which he plans to take during his upcoming gap year before applying for medical school.

At Pomona, he’s had the chance to do research “I would never have gotten access to until I was post-grad or a professional,” he says. “I’ve been doing research since my sophomore year, and I’m really glad I’ve been able to build connections and get out there so soon.”

“Pomona was exactly what I was looking for,” he adds. “Small school, phenomenal academics and pre-med program, amazing professors who have a personal investment in their students.”

“This was the perfect fit.”