Come rain or shine, Chesterton senior Owen Edlen aims to surpass expectations and make it back to the medal stand in the shot put at state meet Friday

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

If Chesterton thrower Owen Edlen were a racehorse, he would be what’s known as a mudder because he performs well in sloppy conditions. He proved that last year, when he came in ranked 18th on the performance list and finished eighth in the rain at the boys state track and field meet at Indiana University.
So, if a year later it rains again at the state meet, which forecasts indicate is a strong possibility, you won’t find Edlen whining in the rain.
He said last year that the rain helped him because he was gliding, not rotating then, and wet conditions mess more with the footwork of rotators than gliders. He switching to rotating in the middle of this his senior season because although it’s more difficult to get the technique downs, it gives the thrower a higher ceiling.
The 55-10.5 he threw at the state meet last year remained his personal best until his annual tradition kicked in. As a sophomore, junior and senior, Edlen won the shot put in the dark at the Portage sectional and set a PR each year.
If it’s wet Friday, Edlen can go back to gliding. If it’s dry, he can stick with rotating, also known as spinning. He has two different paths back to the medal stand.
He said he’s undecided as to whether Friday will be the last day of his throwing career. Edlen was recruited by the Air Force Academy to play football. Along with roughly 75% of the first-year football recruits, he will attend the Air Force prep school, located on the campus of the Air Force Academy, located just north of Colorado Springs.
For football players, it’s Air Force’s equivalents to redshirting. It will enable Edlen prepare himself for the academic rigors of the Academy and beef up his body, which needs to get bigger via nutrition and the weight room.
And, Edlen noted, there is a bonus that redshirts at other Division I schools don’t get to enjoy: Games.
“The cool thing is the prep team travels and plays other prep and juco teams so I’ll get to play six games this year for the prep school team, which is really cool,” Edlen said.
Football remains his primary athletic focus, but he hasn’t completely shut the door on throwing in college.
“When I was on my official visit, I was wearing my letterman’s jacket and they saw all my track patches and the running backs coach at Air Force said, ‘Hey, wow, would you consider throwing in college?’ I told him football’s always been the main goal,” Edlen said. “I told myself if the opportunity to do it in college along with football came up, I’ll consider it. That being said, my goal is to go to the NFL. I wouldn’t want throwing in college to take away from anything football-wise I wouldn’t want to miss spring football practices for track. That being said though, I love throwing. If the opportunity comes up, it will be hard to say no. I just don’t know how smart it would be to say yes.”
After winning the Portage sectional and setting a personal record with a throw of 56-6, Edlen had an off night at the Valparaiso regional, throwing a 53-6-1/4, which still was good enough to qualify. He is ranked 24th on the performance list, which is based on the marks the 27 shot put competitors reached in the regional round.