Track & Field Profile: Chris Crawford

Written and Media by Mitchell Hooten.

In Track and Field there are many types of athletes, from sprinters to long-distance runners. The most unrecognized and underappreciated athletes are the throwers. Throwers are a different kind of athlete than most, especially here at Greenville. The leader of this group is Senior captain Chris Crawford, whose main event is the hammer throw. He is followed by his fellow senior teammates Marideth Tate, Ben Perry and Greg Nwajei. Chris has had a very good career so far at

Greenville, receiving two All-Americans in the indoor weight throw his sophomore and junior years. His personal bests are 50.26 meters in the hammer and 16.12 meters in the weight throw.

The life of a track and field athlete, especially a thrower, is a very busy one; from waking up most mornings as early as 6 A.M. for morning lifting, going to classes and practice, to finishing it all off with doing homework at night. But Chris is a great leader and role model for someone with a schedule like this. He displays a respectable image of succeeding in his classes while performing well in the field, too. In his three years as a teammate, he has given great advice to the team and is like a brother to everyone. Even when Chris was not a senior he still was a leader in many ways, from talking problems out with fellow teammates to leading the team when the upperclassmen were not there.

Chris’s success in throwing did not start at Greenville, but back at Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois. His first big accomplishment was getting 9th place his senior year at the state track and field championships. This accomplishment did not come easy for Chris, who was overcoming a sickness right before the outdoor season started. Because of his sickness, he may not have thrown to his full potential. Chris ran into another spell of bad luck his sophomore year when he injured his right shoulder. But despite all this, Chris always had an upbeat attitude during life’s ups and downs.

Chris’s goal for this year is, firstly, to become a more complete thrower in the hammer throw and weight throw. Secondly, he would like to compete to the best of his abilities at every meet, especially the championships, and also be a great leader that his teammates can look to for advice when needed. Lastly, his biggest goal for this year is to make it to the Division III National Championships for indoor or outdoor track and field. These are big goals, but with the determination that Chris has, he will work hard to achieve them.

Coming to Greenville has been a windy road for Chris, but with his family and the friends that he has made through his four years here, it has become a second home to him. Chris’s future plans even include pursuing his Master’s at Greenville and hopefully continuing to throw and help coach the future throwers.