Eight months ago, sophomore Jeff Hantz had never picked up a shot put, discus or javelin.

He was a busy man, taking 21 credits in the Schreyer Honors College, and playing trumpet in a Penn State concert band, a jazz ensemble and the basketball pep band, so he hadn't been working out much.

In that time, he has made himself one of the premier wheelchair track & field athletes in the nation. He is now working towards international standards that will send him overseas in the coming years to measure himself against the best in the world, all while continuing to succeed academically, and to stay true to his other commitments.

Last month at the National Junior Paralympics at Rutgers University, he won gold medals in the shot put, discus and javelin, setting national records in all three. He also finished second in the bench press, putting up 275 pounds. He is nearing international qualifying standards in the discus.

His throw at junior nationals of 24.9 meters got him within a 10th of a meter of the qualifying distance for next summer's World Championships in Paris. He is also expecting to easily make the qualifying distance for the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, which has yet to be set.

He has done all of that while continuing to participate in those three bands and holding a 3.66 grade point average.

And that is Hantz's way — he is constantly thinking about the next level.

"I don't really think about what I did at junior nationals," Hantz said. "Right now, I'm just working towards future accomplishments. I'm trying to compete at a very high level to be ready for Paris next summer."

As extraordinary as Hantz's recent accomplishments are, they are just the latest on a list of great things he has done in his remarkable life.

He was born without thighbones, a condition called proximal femoral focal deficiency, forcing to use a wheelchair. Despite that, Hantz proved very early on that he was going to live an active life.

"He always took an interest in sports," Hantz's father Bob said. "I've always gone out and thrown ball with him. He always had a good arm.

"He's always been very competitive, and he's never been the type of person to let anything hold him back."

Hantz got involved in a number of community events in his hometown of Latrobe, Pa. As a child, he participated in the community's Fun Run, a mile race that he did in his wheelchair.

In sixth grade, he decided to join the local Junior Olympics wrestling team. He got a lot of support from the coaches, and actually continued with the support through tenth grade, starting on the junior high team in ninth grade, and amassing a record close to .500. Going into his sophomore year, he had a second string spot assured, and had a chance to challenge for a starting position on the varsity squad, but was forced to end his career when he tore cartilage in his elbow.

At the same time, Hantz managed to participate in the marching band, eventually becoming marching band president, though he needed to have someone push his wheelchair around while he played. He also helped his father coach midget football, and announced baseball games in Latrobe's 13-15-year-old league.

Hantz hadn't really worked out much in the days since he quit wrestling, but merely moving himself around helped him keep in shape, especially once he enrolled at Penn State.

Penn State director of disability recreation, Teri Jordan, actually discovered Hantz while driving down the street past the Bryce Jordan Center where Hantz had just finished playing for the Penn State basketball pep band at a game in January. Jordan, who had previously been the women's track and cross country coach at Penn State, was in the car with 1996 Paralympic gold medalist Larry Hughes after a camp, and saw Hantz moving his wheelchair swiftly down the street. She pulled over and offered Hantz the opportunity to join her recently launched wheelchair track & field team.

"It's something that wouldn't normally happen," said Jordan, who is always looking for recruits. "But I don't really think it was coincidence. I was very, very fortunate to meet him, and he was very fortunate to use my expertise, and to get an opportunity to show his incredible talents that he might have never had. It feels like it was meant to happen."

Jordan gave Hantz her e-mail address, and before the next day she received a response from him. The day after, he began working out with Jordan.

"It took me three months to really get back into it," Hantz said. "But since then, it's just going non-stop."

Hantz estimates that he puts between 12 and 20 hours a week into his workouts. He meets with Jordan three times a week and also lifts on his own 3-4 days per week.

He also has music rehearsals and is balancing a 20-credit schedule of difficult math and science classes as he works towards a degree in computer science. He wants to get his master's degree in five years, which is possible because the Schreyer Honors College allows students to take graduate classes while still an undergraduate.

In his first semester as a track athlete, Hantz still managed to finish with a 3.66 GPA, which eased his father's uncertainties.

"I had been worried about that," said Bob, who had played football and track at Carnegie Mellon. "I had played sports in college, and I knew what kind of drain that was on me, but he's obviously managed to handle it."

Hantz's accomplishments are truly remarkable, but the secret to them is the way he motivates himself, which is also what keeps him from truly appreciating his own achievements.

"I try not to think about what I've already done," he said. "I'm really tough on myself, but I think that helps me a great deal. It helps me in regional meets when the competition isn't as tough. I might win, but if I don't do better than I did the last time, it's a major letdown to me.

"I'm thinking about what I have to do for Paris next year, and Athens in 2004. That's my motivation."