Warriors Athlete of Week: State-bound thrower benefits from physical activities

Greg Rider

Sport: Track & field

Events: Discus & shot put

Year: Junior

Age: 17

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 215 pounds

Career highlight: Qualifying for Class 2A state meet in discus

Other sports: Football

Favorite class: Welding

Favorite food: Orange chicken

Hobbies: Working on his trucks

Parents: Jason and Leah Rider, Tonya Rider

Greg Rider is a blue-collar guy who plays defensive end for the Brainerd Warriors football team, hits the weight room whenever possible, works for H&H Masonry in the summer and works on trucks in his spare time.

Those physical activities make him an ideal discus thrower and shot putter for the Warrior boys track and field team. The junior came on during the second half of the track season, winning the discus in four meets and winning shot put in another.

His most significant accomplishment was capturing the discus section championship last weekend at Alexandria. He threw an even 157 feet to better the competition by almost five feet.

"The goal was to get 150 plus," Rider said. "My first throw I threw 151 so I was in (the finals). I was giving it my all the rest of the throws. I ended up getting all six throws over 150 with my furthest throw being 157 even."

Warrior boys throwing coach Chet Stevenson said Rider's performance was one of the best he's seen in his more than 39 years of coaching.

"Greg used the wind better than any in the competition at Alexandria," Stevenson said. "Seeing what we had to work with wind-wise and knowing what he had done in practice-just before we went to Alex he did seven full throws. He had three throws well over 146 so I knew he was capable of 150-plus. That's what we talked about prior to the event-let's get 150-plus-and he got six of them. He probably had the best series of throws I've ever had for discus."

Stevenson said Rider started with a 152-9 in prelims and threw a few others in the low 150s. His first toss in the finals was 155-8 and 155-10 is the state qualifying standard.

"Coming out of prelims there were three other guys within two feet of him so it was not like he was skating in free. He had to work," Stevenson said. "He hit that 155-8, then went 154-9, then his final throw the pressure was off. He knew he was in. He really attacked it with that 157 which is well above the standard."

Warrior boys head coach Rod Reuer said the staff recognized Rider's potential, which began to blossom in the section meet.

"He's always been kind of a lean, lanky kid who has bought into the weight program, who has bought into strength," Reuer said. "He had a great winter in our offseason lifting program. Now he's physically maturing.

"Technically he's pretty sound in his mechanics, especially in discus. His training and obviously Chet's program and plan worked to have him peak at the right time of the season. Now it's a matter of being able to keep it one more week."

Stevenson said the offseason program is rigorous.

"He worked in the weight room over the winter in our offseason program for throwers, which is probably better than most offseason programs as far as intensity," Stevenson said. "We lift really hard. He's made some pretty good improvement."

Rider hopes to continue to improve this weekend. He's the seventh seed in discus with his 157-0. Top seed is Grahm Johnson of Red Wing at 185-6.

"I hope to get another throw around 157 or even more," he said. "I think if I can get one out there, if the wind is good, and the weather's right, I feel like that throw would place me pretty good. But I know there's some good throwers down there."

Other notable efforts:

• Tanner Lundberg, boys tennis, won the North Subsection and Section 8-2A singles championships and advanced to state.

• Gavin Metz, boys golf, finished sixth in Section 8-3A and qualified for state.

• Sophie Balster, girls track and field, finished second in the section in discus to qualify for state.

• Emma Smith, girls track and field, was runner-up in the section triple jump and qualified for state.

• Hanson Devine, baseball, pitched a 1-hit shutout vs. Apollo in the final game of the regular season.

MIKE BIALKA may be reached at mike.bialka@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5861. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bertsballpark .

1/2: Brainerd’s Greg Rider prepares to compete in discus during the Section 8-3A True Team meet in Brainerd. (Kelly Humphrey, Brainerd Dispatch)

2/2: Brainerd’s Greg Rider competes in discus during the Section 8-3A True Team meet in Brainerd. (Kelly Humphrey, Brainerd Dispatch)