TXST TRACK AND FIELD
Junior Chris Preddie made history at Texas State, becoming the second Bobcat track athlete to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in two different events, qualifying in both the long jump and the triple jump.
After missing out on nationals last season due to injuries, Preddie is proud of what he has accomplished this season.
“It was honestly a work in progress,” Preddie said. “It’s something that could have been done a while ago, but we just need to fix some things and show up when it mattered honestly. This year we really got it done so it means a lot to do it, especially in front of our friends and friends that came out to support.”
Preddie is the first Bobcat male track athlete to qualify for the nationals in two different events, following Brian Veal in 2005 who also qualified for nationals in the long jump and triple.
Having joined an exclusive group, Preddie still acknowledges there is still a lot more to achieve.
“It feels good to be among some of the greats of Texas State,” Preddie said. “It really fuels [me], and it makes me feel better about it. But I know that there’s history that hasn’t been done yet that I want to go after, so it kind of makes me even more hungry.”
Going into regionals, Preddie had captured the conference championship gold in the long jump while capturing bronze in the triple jump despite not knowing if he was going to be able to compete after dealing with an injury.
For Preddie, focusing on his health became a major priority.
“Last year and at the beginning of the year, I was jumping some of my best jumps in both,” Preddie said. “I ended up getting a little injured, and it held me out of practice for a while. So honestly, regionals and conferences were just to hold on and see if we still got something.
“So honestly, I wasn’t too mad about last year.
I just knew I needed to prepare my body better and stay healthy. If I stay healthy, the sky’s the limit.”
Preddie gave credit to Texas State assistant athletic trainer Seth Berg for not only keeping himself healthy to compete but also many other track athletes as well.
“He kept me and a lot of the other guys right, keeping us in the best health position that we can be in to be successful,” Preddie said. “So [he] meets with us every day.
He’s just constantly honest [asking], ‘How does this feel?’ [The training staff are] really great guys, making sure we’re feeling well.”
One advantage Preddie had going into the regional meet was the fact it was being held in College Station where many of his family, friends and supporters were able to cheer him on and give their love and support.
“A lot of my friends live in college station, and I go and visit a lot,” Preddie said. “So honestly, it almost felt like a home meet to me, with the amount of people who came out to support me.
I’m very familiar with the area. So it was great having it in College Station, Texas. I think that’s the best place it could have been.”
First competing in long jump on Day 1, Preddie’s first jump was not up to his standards. However, Preddie’s attempt was good enough to put the Little River Academy alumni into ninth place and into qualifying position.
Seeing the results of his first jump gave Preddie the confidence going into his second attempt.
“Honestly, probably one of my worst jumps of the year, [but] I saw that it put me in 9th place,” Preddie said. “So I was like, if that would put me in ninth place, I know what I can actually do is gonna send me to the moon. So, I got the crowd into it. I had some friends and family there, and I just went off with it.
It felt really good off the runway, and I automatically knew that it was something good that was gonna send me to Nationals.”
Preddie’s second jump was recorded at 26-3 ½, placing the junior in second place and securing his spot to nationals.
But Preddie’s day was not over yet as he prepared for the triple jump on Friday.
Preddie’s success in the triple jump at regionals has not been kind to him, having scratched on all of his attempts.
Going into the triple jump, Preddie’s focus was just making a successful attempt.
“When I go to regionals, I end up not getting a mark in triple and I end up scratching three times,” Preddie said. “This year, I really wanted to focus on just executing what we’ve been doing, getting on the board.”
However, things didn’t go as planned as Preddie entered the third attempt.
“My first two jumps were scratches,” Preddie said. “But I just knew I didn’t have to go out there and do too much on my third. All I need to do is hit the board, and I’m going to go to nationals; because I know my abilities and what I can do.
So as soon as I hit the board, I already knew, that’s it.”
On his final attempt, Preddie finally got his much awaited qualified jump, jumping 52-3 ¼, putting him in 11th place into qualifying position.
Though not having a qualified jump, Preddie was relaxed going into the final jump despite everything leading up.
“You kind of get used to it,” Preddie said. “[Being] put in uncomfortable positions, they become comfortable positions. So after that second scratch, I had a big smile on my face. I just knew this is where it’s done.
“I’m not going to go out like I did the past two years. This is the year to do it. So I was very relaxed, very comfortable because I’ve been in that situation multiple times.”
Now advancing to nationals, Preddie’s focus is now on executing.
“One thing I’m thinking about is execution,” Preddie said. “You come to practice every day, you put in the work, the work’s already done.
There’s not a video you can watch, a drill that you can do that’s gonna make you jump further and help you win, so you just come to practice every day, put in the work, and you just have to believe and trust that it’s there.
You go out there to execute, and that’s all I can do. So my goal is to go out there, execute what I know how to do, and I come home with it.”
Preddie will compete in the long jump competition on Wednesday before competing in the triple jump competition on Friday. The events will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
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It feels good to be among some of the greats of Texas State. It really fuels [me] and it makes me feel better about it. But I know that there’s history that hasn’t been done yet that I want to go after, so it kind of makes me even more hungry.
–CHRIS PREDDIE
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