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Olympic quest continues for MPHS grad Roberts


Throwing heavy things a long ways has been a part of Daniel Roberts’ life for a long time.
Throwing the shot and discus for Mobridge-Pollock High School started a journey that has led to throwing the hammer and a quest to make the 2020 Olympic team.
“Ever since I first picked up the discus at 12, it’s always been my dream,” said Roberts, who was back in his hometown over the Christmas holiday.
His training for the Olympic Trials, to be held in mid-June is underway. Roberts has been at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., where he is a volunteer assistant coach, since August.
The road from Mobridge to Carbondale has been a long and winding one.
After graduating at MPHS in 2013, where he won the state discus title with a Class A finals record of 191 feet, 10 inches, Roberts started his college career at South Dakota State University, where things did not work out. He admits he was in a bad place personally at the time. His dad, Earl, passed away in 2012 and he was still trying to learn to live life without the man who was not only his father, but his first coach.
In 2015, Roberts enrolled at Modesto Junior College in California, thanks to a connection he had with a throw coach who remembered Roberts from a throw camp. After two highly successful years there, he set school records in shot put, discus and hammer throw and was a five-time junior College All-American, he went to Ashland University, a Division II school in Ohio. In May of 2017, Roberts won the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championship in the hammer throw. His throw of 229-1, was the number seven D-II hammer throw of all time.
By this time the hammer throw had become his event. The summer after MJC, he blew his elbow. That led to him not being able to throw discus and shot.
“I took up hammer and fell in love,” said Roberts.
Next he was off to the Olympic Training Center. He said the OTC was the perfect environment, but for the first time in his life he could not connect with his coach.
That did not slow his progress. In 2018 he had “the best year of my life.” He finished fourth in the trials and was just six inches from the top three. The 2019 trials were not so good. He fouled out at the USATF National Championship.
“That’s the first time I ever did that,” said Roberts. “I’ve always had one, but that really put a chip on my shoulder.”
The best thing to come out of the OTC was meeting his roommate, Josh Freeman, who one day said, “Dude, you should come where I am.”
That place is Southern Illinois.
There Roberts gets to work with DeAnna Price, who is the women’s American record holder in the hammer throw, and this year won the World Championship in Qatar.
“I said I was down to work with her and everything has changed since then,” said Roberts. “My physical numbers are through the roof. My lifting numbers are through the roof. I found the place I’m supposed to be right now, 100 percent.”
Roberts said that during his long and winding trip to get where his is now, he learned athletic and life lessons at every juncture.
“You meet people in life and you learn from them,” said Roberts. The lessons began right here in the Bridge City with his dad “Pops,” and MPHS coaches Jim Schlekeway, Troy Stenberg and Mike Norder. The lessons continued with different coaches all across the country. It has led him to SIU with DeAnna Price and her coach and husband, J.C. Lambert.
And now the Olympic quest hits full stride. Roberts has six months to become one of the three best in the country and earn the right to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
His nose will be to the grindstone six days week in preparation for the 2020 indoor and outdoor seasons, culminating the chance to add his name to the likes of Bill and Jim Scherr and Frank Hughes in representing little Mobridge, S.D. in the Olympics.
Now, while Roberts is a coach for SIU, he is a volunteer assistant. That means he does not earb a paycheck. He does work two jobs outside of his training and coaching duties, but those jobs pay the rent and put food on the table.
To help in his quest for the Olympics, Roberts has started a GoFundMe account to help fund his training, traveling and housing expenses for the next eight months. Three big dates on his calendar are the 2020 Indoor National Championship in Albuquerque, N.M., Feb. 14 and 15, the 2020 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., on June 24, and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in early August.
The goal is to raise $10,000. No, the goal is to represent Mobridge and the U.S.A. in Tokyo. The funding goal is the part he needs help with.
“I’m setting my pride aside and am admitting the need for help,” said Roberts.
His GoFundMe page is Daniel Roberts: Road to Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
He is close to reaching his dream. With a personal best of 245-3, he is within nine feet of hitting the Olympic standard of 254-2. With the help of Price and Lambert, that goals has never been closer.
With your help, his dream can be reached.

One response to “Olympic quest continues for MPHS grad Roberts”

  1. Benj & Reinje Rains says:

    Daniel we hope your road to Tokyo is fantastic! Lost you on Facebook hope to connect again. Benj & Reinje Rains brother & Sister Rains

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