Redshirt track athlete sets sights on Olympics

The Chadron State track and field team dominated this indoor season, breaking a number of school records, sending athletes to nationals, and finishing in the top 25. The women’s team  finished with three All-Americans.

The women were without their best thrower Mel Herl, graduate senior of Eaton, Colorado, who is redshirting this year in preparation for her final indoor and outdoor season in 2017. Herl still competed unattached as a thrower and fared well this indoor season at numerous meets, finishing in the top three in nearly every event.

Herl excelled particularly well in the weight throw, finishing eighth in the event at USA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 11 in Portland, Oregon.

“It was a great and fun experience competing at USA’s,” Herl said. “It was great to meet all those elite athletes and see how they prepare, compete and act.”

Herl was one of two athletes who finished in the top eight as an unattached thrower at USA’s in the weight throw. The other six throwers competed as professional athletes with a majority of them representing Nike.

Herl is redshirting this season in hopes to improve her technique and strength in discus, shot put, and hammer throw for her final season in 2017, she said. Herl will still compete this coming outdoor season unattached like she did this indoor season, but said she will wait to compete until later in the outdoor season.

“The nice thing with outdoor season is it goes until late June, so I have time to train and focus on technique before I compete,” Herl said. “My hopes are to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the discus.”

Herl’s biggest focus this outdoor season will be in the discus, as she feels it is her best shot at qualifying for the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Currently, the standard to qualify in women’s discus is 187 feet according to the USA Track and Field website. Herl’s career best in the discus is 170.

Herl has done well for CSC as a thrower in her three years of competition. She currently holds the school’s outdoor record in the discus throw at 170. She finished fourth in the discus at 2015 Outdoor National Championships, earning All-American status.

Herl has high goals for herself going into next year and in years to come. Herl hopes to garner All-American status next indoor and outdoor season, and has her sights set on qualifying for the Olympics in 2020.