Chris Holly: A Long Road to Success
2/16/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
Feb. 16, 2011
Feature written by Nathan Allen; Mizzou Athletic Media Relations
For senior thrower Chris Holly, track has become a way of life. Nevertheless, the two-time All-Conference performer (weight and hammer throws) and NCAA National qualifier (hammer throw) almost missed out on the sport of track and field twice. It took a couple of last minute decisions and the untimely and tragic death of a close friend, but now Holly, of Topeka, Kan., is enjoying the pursuit of hunting down a conference title and All-American status.
Holly had no intentions of being a track athlete as a sixth grader when a junior high track coach put a shot put in his hand. It took one throw to crush his junior high region's record by 10 feet. Still, as a freshman at Shawnee Heights High School, Holly was out for the football team in the fall and the baseball team in the spring - avoiding track.
"I showed up at baseball tryouts and the coach asked me what I was doing there," Holly said, grinning. "He told me I shouldn't even be there."
Consequently, Holly and a good friend joined the track team. At the regional meet during a relatively quiet freshman year, Holly shattered his previous personal record in the discus by 30 feet and earned his spot at the Kansas State Championships. By the end of his high school athletic career, Holly was a five-time All-State performer in three sports (three times in track and one time in football and wrestling).
Despite being a three-time All-State performer, Holly signed a national letter of intent to play football at Baker University before any track recruiting picked up. Again, a last minute decision saved Holly's track career.
"I had a good friend who was older and told me that Neosho Junior College had a great throws program," Holly said. "I also thought if I went to junior college for two years, I could eventually end up at Kansas. So, instead of going to Baker, I went to throw at Neosho."
As a freshman at Neosho, Holly earned All-American honors in the discus and hammer throws, respectively. That brought the attention of many of the "big" schools.
"At that time, everybody in the Big 12 was offering me, except for Kansas," Holly said.
After taking official visits to Kansas State, Oklahoma, Memphis, LSU and Missouri, Holly committed and signed with Missouri.
"Coach (Brett) Halter was always nice and interested in knowing what I was doing," Holly said. "He is a great guy and knows a lot about coaching. The campus was awesome, people were cool and the facilities were great. It was awesome to see an equipment shed - we just kept our stuff in the back of cars (at Neosho)."
Holly admitted having a house full of Kansas fans did not make the decision to attend Missouri a smooth one.
"I had people coming up to me and asking what I was thinking," Holly said, laughing.
Despite being the Junior College National Champion in the hammer throw his sophomore year, Holly experienced a bit of a learning curve upon arrival at Missouri.
"Getting into Division I and competing, there was a lot of changing my technique," Holly said. "In competition, I would over think things instead of just going out and throwing."
Holly possessed a willingness to learn that many coaches look for.
"Chris is one of those kids you dream of coaching," assistant coach Teri Cantwell said. "Chris is not a big thrower relating to size, but he has taken the positive assets he does have and made himself a dominant thrower. He simply outworks everyone."
That size has made Holly work harder and maybe even deceive the competition.
"When others might look at his size and think `no way can this kid throw,' Chris walks in and beats them," Cantwell said.
After finishing All-Conference in the weight and hammer throws last spring, Holly is ready to take his throws to the next level during his final year of eligibility. However, some of the motivation is stemming from the tragic death of a close friend.
"Last summer, a wrestler I went to high school with passed away," Holly said. "It taught me some things. Since he was gone, I realized you only get one life. I decided I wanted to be the best hammer thrower I could be. I started watching elite hammer throwers. I decided to lose weight. I started running and doing harder workouts. I lost 42 pounds last summer."
The intense training program and thoughts of his friend have helped him compete at an increasingly high level.
"Every morning I get up at six and do an extra morning workout," Holly said. "Each time I get ready to throw, I recite a poem in my head that I wrote earlier this year and think of my friend. I get that intense, tingly feeling and I can feel the adrenaline. Last weekend I had a throw that would have been a huge PR (personal record), but went about an inch foul."
Holly's attitude to lead by example has not gone unnoticed.
"The biggest impact Chris has on the team is through his actions," Cantwell said. "He is the first one to the gym in the morning and is often the last one out. Other teammates are joining him for his early morning workouts. He helps them diet and takes accountability for their actions."
With a reformed attitude and work ethic, Holly will have big things ahead of him during his senior campaign.
"Chris is a kid who just doesn't take no for answer," Cantwell said. "He just keeps taking all the right steps to better himself. Watch out because you just might see a Big 12 Champion and All-American in the hammer this spring. He is the kid that will walk in the ring with confidence and do it."
Holly wanted to thank and recognize his high school coaches and friends John Oshel, Chad Parks and Jason Swift.
Players Mentioned
