Alex Scott's Shot To Making The Finals In NCAA Track And Field
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Alex Scott said in 8th grade, he wasn't good enough to play on his baseball team.
So he decided to give track and field a "shot."
As CBS 2's Matt Zahn found out, that decision is working pretty well for him, and Scott is now one of the best in the nation.
For University of Chicago senior Alex Scott, nothing beats a great shot put throw. He said when he's in the zone and has a good throw...
"It feels amazing. It's the best feeling."
Scott was definitely in the zone earlier this month when he shattered his own school record with a throw of 17.53 meters, the best throw in all of Division III this season.
"Usually the best throws feel pretty easy, pretty effortless," Scott said. "So no, I didn't know. But when I saw where it landed, I was pretty happy about it, yeah."
.@UChicago's Alex Scott can throw a 16 pound shot put farther than almost anyone in the country.
— Matt Zahn (@mattzahnsports) January 29, 2020
I can barely hold it to shoot a standup.
His impressive story at 5 on @cbschicago.
My pathetic outtakes here: pic.twitter.com/tVPUgBp3b5
Throwing a 16 pound shot may seem effortless to Alex, but he actually put in a lot of work to get to this point in his career. Scott qualified for the NCAA Division III indoor track and field championships last year, but got injured on his first throw.
And that fueled him to come back even stronger.
"Right after the meet, I wrote down my goals for next season. This season I guess," Scott said. "Definitely it kept me motivated to keep working hard in the weight room, to keep working hard with my technique and also to work hard staying healthy."
And he whether or not that pays off with a national championship is not what's most important.
"My goal is to perform as well as I know I can, and I think if I do that, I'll be happy regardless where I place."