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Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
(article posted by Lauren Brightmore, Student Sports Information Assistant)

May 2, 2011 - Chelsea Armstrong lives up to her name as a hammer, discus, and shot put thrower for the North Central College women's track and field team. Armstrong's strength has brought her great success, as she improves week to week. This past weekend the junior threw an all-time best in the hammer throw, recording a distance of 139 feet, 10 inches at the Benedictine Twilight Invitational. She finished fourth for the event, and kept her momentum going in the discus, placing third overall with a season-best of 125' 4”. 

Armstrong truly exemplifies the meaning of being a student-athlete. The biology major and environmental science minor volunteers at the animal shelter A.D.O.P.T., works two on-campus jobs, and is a track and field captain. According to Armstrong, the only way she balances her responsibilities is by sitting down and making a schedule. This management gives Armstrong the focus she needs to perform in the ring. 

Get to Know Chelsea Armstrong

Q: What is your favorite throwing event?

A: My favorite throwing event used to be discus hands down, but I'm starting to like hammer throw.  Both discus and hammer throw are really technical, so they are more challenging than shot put. I like them both, but maybe hammer a little bit more.

Q: What is it like to have Coach Tom Sroka as the new throws coach?

A: It's really good.  He has a lot of knowledge and he's open to new ideas.  It's nice to have a coach with throwing experience, who knows the techniques and is willing to help us on all of the throwing events. 

Q: The CCIW Championships are coming up this week.  What are your goals for the 2-day event?

A: My goals are to throw close to my PR (personal record) or actually just PR in my events.  At the rate I'm going, hopefully I will.  Also, I would like to place higher than I did last year in each of my events.

Q: What extracurricular activities are you involved in?

A: I work two on-campus jobs at Residence Life and at Dyson Wellness Center.  I volunteer at A.D.O.P.T., the animal shelter, and I will start my research for graduation this upcoming term.

Q: What kind of research will you be doing?

 A: As a biology major, you have to present some kind of research.  I'm going to be doing an independent study with animal shelters in the area.  That's the plan right now.  I still have to get it approved though. 

Q: What is it like to practice with throwers from the men's team?

A: The guys are all really great, and we all get along.  We get work done at practice, but there's a light air, and we're normally laughing.  Whenever I lift though, I have to remember I can't lift as much as the guys even though I try to up my weight.  Practicing with the guys is a little harder because you're going to throw shorter than they do, which is somewhat frustrating.  You just have to remember they're guys.  It's fine. 

Q: How much can you actually squat?

A: So far the most I've been able to squat, doing a full-squat, is a little over 300 lbs.  Doing our box squats or our quarter squats, I've gotten to 350 lbs. 

Q: What do you like most about outdoor track?

A: Just being outside (laughs).  Res/Rec is a very nice indoor throwing facility, but it's great to compete outside.  In outdoor there are also new throwing events, and since I'm not a huge fan of shot put, it's good getting hammer and discus in.   

Q: How do you focus on the various techniques involved in each throwing event? 

A: It helps that I started early.  I threw shot and discus in middle school and high school, so I pretty much have those events down except for a bit of tweaking here and there.  Learning weight and hammer was not too hard because their techniques are similar save for the weight distribution. So, I really just had to learn one event and fix up the others.    

Q: What are your career aspirations?

A: I want to do something in animal conservation whether it's at a wildlife center, a zoo, or an animal shelter. 

Q: What kind of internship opportunities have you had?

A: As a volunteer at A.D.O.P.T., I worked as a dog walker and in general care.  A few days a week, I would also assist with surgeries.  I have now applied for a conservation internship through Friends of the Chicago River, which I'm still waiting to hear back from.

Q: Who are your role models?

A: My biggest role model is my brother as cheesy as that is.  My coaches and the upperclassmen on the team are also role models to me.

Q: What is the hardest part about being a student-athlete? 

A: The hardest part is trying to manage everything.  Between balancing three or four classes, two jobs, track, and volunteering, I have to legitimately sit down and make a schedule. 

Q: If you could do any other event, what would you like to try?

A: Something where I get to run relays.  I did the 4-by-100-meter relay and the 4-by-200-meter relay in high school a couple times.  I think the 4-by-100-meter relay would be a fun event to try, even if it's just an event for the throwers.

Q: What are your favorite events to watch?

A: I like watching the 4-by-400-meter relay just because everyone is there, yelling.  I also like watching triple jump.  I like technical events and being able to do that and not blow your knee cap out, is kind of amazing to me.  Those are my two favorites. 

Q: In a field event where you only get three throws, how are you able to refocus if your first throw goes wrong?

A: That's something I'm still working on.  A lot of times, I have to think about it as my first warm-up throw.  It only takes one, and you have two more throws, so you have look at the event that way.  It's important to focus on what you can do, and try not to change a lot with your technique.

Q: What is the best advice you have received in regards to your sport?

A: “Stop thinking and do it.” I have a lot of people tell me that.  Because I do like the technical events, I try to nitpick at everything throughout my throw.  So, Coach Sroka and pretty much everyone else tells me to just "go throw.” 

Q: What was it like to win the CCIW Indoor Track and Field Championship by over 100 points? 

A: It was awesome.  I had been texting my mom the night we were in the hotel, and she was giving me updates on how we were doing and what she could find from the website.  That second day I was walking around and someone said we were up by so many points.  I thought, “There's no way.”  I'm all for us winning, but I didn't think it was going to be that much.  I was completely surprised. 

Q: What professors have been influential to you? 

A: Everyone in the biology department is great.  Dr. Johnston brought his daughter to the faculty-appreciation meet that we hosted during indoors.  I remember standing in lab and he came up to me and said, “Did you see my daughter there?”  I said I saw them upstairs when I was throwing.   He told me she was just yelling for me, saying, “Go Chelsea!”  She was really little and adorable, and looks exactly like Dr. Johnston.  It was neat to have that support.

Q: What is one talent you have that no one really knows about?

A: I'm kind of artsy which is weird.  I like to sing, dance, and draw, and you wouldn't think that, but it's true. 

Q: What do you like most about being a member of the women's track and field team?

A: The friendships you make.  It's a sport and you're there to compete and do well, but your teammates are your family for most of the year even though we only compete two seasons.   You get to know people on the team, and I got a roommate out of it.  So, that's probably my favorite part—developing friendships.