MSU Mankato Grad Chris Reed is "Living the Dream."

Many college athletes have grand plans for their future HERE.  Chris Reed is living his HERE.

MSU Mavs reunion today. Jags LG Chris Reed, @athielen19 played together at MSU. #Kfanvikes pic.twitter.com/mcxvykF242

— Paul Allen (@PAOnTheMic) December 11, 2016

News: NSIC; Chris Reed; NXN Preview; Brian Anderson; Beer Mile; NPR coverage of the MSHSL Transgender Policy

NSIC indoor track coaches preseason poll for teams, Athletes of the Year is HERE.  Radio interview with MSU's Chris Reed on football is(starts 7:30 in the program, goes to 17:30) HERE.

Running Times NXN preview is HERE.

Saturdays kit #NXN pic.twitter.com/JQfWjkek9g
— Klecker (@JoeKleckerxc) December 4, 2014

St. Thomas'  Brian Anderson selected as a recipient of the NCAA DIII Elite 89 Award  HERE.

NPR coverage of the Beer Mile HERE. FloTrack interview with Elizabeth Herndon, former TCTC member, new WR holder for women's Beer Mile HERE.

Increased prize money for US Olympic Trials Marathon HERE.

MSHSL approves Transgender policy HERE.

Chris Reed Looks Toward the Future

Chris Reed won the 2014 NCAA DII shot
championships on his last throw

Mankato State's NCAA DII shot put champion Chris Reed was looking at his Facebook page one day and he saw the announcement that the USATF Outdoor Championships shot put was going to be held on the grounds of the State Capitol in Sacramento.  Reed knew he'd be in the midst of preparing for his final season with the MSU football team, but "I wanted to do it," he said of the unique competition.

He arrived in Sacramento last Monday and was absorbed in the atmosphere around the event.  "It was amazing," he said.  It was a chance to "rub shoulders" with the elite US throwers of past and present.  John Godina, former UCLA shot and discus thrower who won three NCAA titles, three US Championships  in the shot, and a silver and bronze medal in that event in the Olympics, was there.

Reed met Kurt Roberts, the three time DII national champion in the shot whose indoor DII record Reed surpassed during the 2014 indoor season.  Roberts, who was also competing in the event, is better known "tongue in cheek," as the "face of shot putting" because of a picture taken of him as he releases the shot during the Olympic Trials in 2012(shown HERE).

Roberts finished second in the Sacramento competition, throwing 21.47m/70'5.25".  Reed, nick named "the Beast" by his MSU teammates, finished with the 16th furthest throw, 18.67m/61'3", well below his season best of 20.07m/65'10.25".  For Reed the Sacramento event was a view of the potential of the unique venue field event competitions that have been popping up around the country, including at Des Moines in conjunction with the Drake Relays in the high jump and pole vault, and coming to the Twin Cities in August with the Pub Vault in downtown Minneapolis.

"It's nice," Reed said on the State Capitol shot put, "because you get a lot of foot traffic.  People who wouldn't normally see such an event come by, they see it and say: 'Oh my god, it's cool.' The US is one of the top countries in the world (in the men's shot put), but we don't get much exposure."  In Sacramento though 300 pound men twirling on a concrete circle and tossing a 16 pound iron ball toward the Capitol Dome made for great visuals and was a crowd pleaser.

For Reed it was a glimpse, perhaps, of his own athletic future.  He was pleased, but not satisfied by his last year as a thrower for MSU.  "After I broke the record indoors, I was thinking about getting 70 feet,"  Reed said.  That goal, which seemed realistic at the time became more of a burden than an inspiration, however.

"I need to be more patient with my gains," said Reed.  "I was trying to throw too hard.  I got frustrated (when he wasn't throwing further than he had indoors).  You can't push it.  I still want to go 70', but I know that I'm probably not ready to do it yet.  I've got to learn more about technique.  I'm strong, but I've got to get stronger."

He has unfinished business to take care of in football where the MSU team is hoping to go all the way this year, a DII team title, but he's taking things one step at a time.  "I do love track," Reed says.   "After eight years of doing two sports(football and track). I've never had an off season."  The accomplishments in football and track have been many, but there has been a cost.  In the future, Reed says, he wants to do one event, one sport.  With one semester of football remaining, that will be football until that season ends.

His future choices will be determined by what happens on the field this Fall and Winter.  Ideally, Reed says, "the dream" would be to perform well enough to attract the attention of the NFL scouts.  A chance to play professional football, earn a good salary, and set himself up financially could then make possible another goal: "to go to the Olympics." Since I was successful in college(in track), I can find a coach.  I can see better gains. Get quicker and faster.'  Improve gradually.  Have the time to rest between seasons and stay healthy.

Last week Reed got a chance to see what may be the future of his chosen event.  The questions that remains is whether or not he'll be a part of that future.

Chris Reed and the Power of Positive Thinking

MSU Mankato's Chris Reed is giving the rest of the male NCAA DII athletes a break.  He's not throwing this weekend, so somebody else can grab a USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week honor.  Well , not really, he's resting and rehabing his elbow tendinitis that has flared up again after three weeks of setting personal and DII shot put records.

"My goal is to PR every week," says Reed. So far, so good. If he can keep up this pace throughout the season he could reach another goal he's set for the indoor season, reaching 66 to 67 feet indoors, take a break then ramp up again to try and throw 70 feet outdoors.  If that seems more like a dream than reality, consider this.  Reed surprised himself by throwing 61 7.75"in his first meet, which was seven days after MSU Mankato lost to St. Cloud State in the NCAA DII football playoffs. His indoor PR, which he set in finishing second at the 2013 NCAA DII shot put was 60' 5".

Chris Reed launching the shot

"I'm lucky enough to have another sport," said Reed.  His "second sport," track and field, allowed him to put the disappointment at the football loss quickly behind him as he jumped right into training for track.  The next week he had a little dip, only throwing 61' .2.5".  Then came the Northwest Open at the University of Minnesota where Reed broke his PR again, throwing 62' 10".  His improvements weren't gradual, they were monumental.

And they haven't stopped, as the next weekend Reed broke NCAA DII indoor record at the Jack Johnson Classic with a monster throw of 65' 5.5".  That put Reed within striking distance of 66', which had been his original goal for his entire college career. The next weekend on home turf in Mankato, Reed launched the 16 pound ball 65' 10.25", breaking the 20 meter barrier(20.07 meters).  All this forced a major readjustment of what might be possible.

Reed started doing the numbers.  Last year he'd improved five feet from indoors to outdoors and won the NCAA DII outdoor shot put title.  If he did that again this year, 66' would be a dot in the rear view mirror and a truly historic accomplishment could be within his grasp, 70'.  One might say that's a lot to ask, but Reed is not a glass half empty guy.  He wants to reach for the stars. One of his rules being that one never says can't.

When he talks about his sports career it's clear that those around him don't use the C word either.  Listed as 6'5" tall and 300 pounds, Reed has the right equipment for being an offensive tackle on the Mankato football team and a weight man on the track.  He's been big "ever since I can remember," he says.  "At three years old, I looked like I was six...When I was in grade school people said to me: 'Hey, you're big. You should probably play football.'" So, he did, and basketball, and track, and wrestling in Spirit Lake, Iowa where he went to school.

His mother encouraged him to be active.  In sixth grade she urged him to go out for track.  When Chris inquired what he should do, she suggested the shot put: "Oh, you just throw a giant ball," she told him.  What kid doesn't want to do that?  By middle school, Chris began to "specialise," he winnowed his sports down to track and football, the sports he's done ever since.  Asked which one he's going to do after college, Reed says he doesn't know yet.  He has one more year of eligibility left in football, so he will play next fall and make a decision after that.

The only thing he knows for sure is that he wants to do a sport at the professional level after he's done with his college career.  He may try out for the NFL.  If he does throw 70 feet or even close to it later this year track could become a legitimate option.  Both are long shots because the NFL generally doesn't drill down to the DII level for draftees, but with his size and his intelligence, Reed has all the tools to succeed in either sport, and he doesn't use the word can't.

Reed in his football gear.

He's found that the discipline, the physical and mental skills necessary to do well in both sports are the same.  The power, strength and quickness necessary to be an offensive lineman are also vital to success in the weight events in track.  Reed says he feels fortunate to have all the resources he needs at Mankato to prepare both his mind and his body.  Watching film, breaking down strengths, weaknesses, what you did wrong or what needs improvement are well supported by modern technology, from old fashioned camcorders to modern digital media, the resources are there for Reed to study what he needs to work on to reach his goals.

The strength training facilities are top notch, says Reed. The coaching expertise is also there to allow him to work on whatever physical things he needs to improve upon--his strength, his speed, technique, and specific exercises to meet those needs.  Reed also consults with a sports psychologist to allow him to get the most out of his mind as well as his body.  Visualization.  Techniques to allow you to get the best from yourself even when things are not going well.

Practice, practice, practice.  "A lot of it comes from football, the hard work, the discipline,"  Reed says. When he says work, he doesn't mean merely doing drills, mindlessly going through the motions. Everything you do has a purpose.

You get out what you put into your training.  It's something of a cliche, but you have to give it 100%, says Reed.  He learned that lesson the hard way at the 2013 NCAA DII indoor championships.  He wasn't prepared mentally. He went into the event preoccupied by the fear of fouling, which caused him not to put everything into his early throws.  He had to rally from ninth place to get to take his final three throws. He still hit an indoor PR, but he knew he could have thrown further, he could have won, but he hadn't been ready.

He resolved that this wouldn't happen again.  So, in addition to the physical things he needs to work on--his technique, improving his strength and speed, he's developed mental strategies to help him focus,  help control his aggression,  find that balance between being not aggressive enough and being too aggressive.  How to calm down or psych up when necessary.  He's always been a big meet performer, able to do his best when it matters most. He's set himself lofty goals knowing that you don't accomplish great things without the belief that you can do them.

Sports, life often comes down to overcoming adversity.  "Trust yourself," the coaches tell him.  "Trust in what you've been taught.  Trust in your body...All you've got to do is throw."  Sounds so simple.  "Get out more over the toe board.  Opening my hips better.  Don't rely on my arms and my speed."  Reed works and drills his technique until it becomes "second nature."  He's able to do them almost without thinking.  The best performances feel effortless, easy because you've finally executed flawlessly all the things you've worked on in practice.

"I'm still learning," says Reed  Still figuring out how to mesh all the "moving parts" that encompass one's performance.  If he doesn't reach his objective, it won't be for lack of trying or preparation.  Can't isn't allowed to be part of his vocabulary.

Video of Reed's latest record setting throw filmed by Sanna Caffin is HERE.

Three for Three for Chris Reed; Campbell Gets DIII Honors

MSU Mankato's Christopher Reed is three for three in USTFCCCA Athlete of the Week honors in NCAA DII.  This week he shared the honor with another shot putter, McMurray's Paul Davis, but the two will not meet in the NCAA DII finals.  Read about why HERE.

Reed's teammate Nathan Hancock was among those on the honorable mention list for this week for his 5371 point total in the heptathlon last weekend.

Carleton's Amelia Campbell won the USTFCCCA NCAA DIII women's award for the week for her 3671 point total in the pentathlon.

Mankato's Chris Reed Repeats as USTFCCCA DII Men's Athlete of the Week

MSU Mankato's Chris Reed retained his USTFCCA DII Men's Athlete of the Week designation with a DII record toss of 65'5.5"(19.95m) at the Jack Johnson Invitational last weekend. It was the second week that Reed excelled at the University of Minnesota.  Read about it HERE.