Rhett Hillard has had a successful transition to Illinois State and has made a name for himself as a powerful thrower on the track and field team.
The junior from LeRoy, Ill. competed at Quincy University during 2001-2002 before transferring to Illinois State. At Quincy he was a Division III NCAA provisional qualifier for Nationals with a 54-0 shot put throw. He also posted a 145-0 season-best discus throw and was a member of the Hawks football team.
The LeRoy, Ill. native said that he was eager to transfer to ISU because of the different level of competition and it was closer to home.
I transferred to compete at the Division I level and be closer to my family, Hillard said. I liked Quincy but the athletic side of the school was not what I wanted it to be. There I practiced in the local high school and here we have wonderful facilities and a great coaching staff.
Hillard has already proven himself as a fierce competitor for the Redbirds. Last April he had three first place finishes for the Birds in the shot put and hammer throw. He ended the indoor season by finishing fourth at 54-feet, 61/2 inches, which was his second best toss of the season.
This year Hillard is looking to break records and compete at Nationals.
My goals this season are to break both the indoor and outdoor school records for throwing, Hillard said. I have already thrown far enough in practice to break those records. I also want to qualify for indoor and outdoor nationals. It is going to be a challenge but I think I can qualify this year.
Hillard credits throws coach Brent Chumbley for his success at ISU.
I have to say that 95 percent of my success is because of Coach Chumbley, Hillard said. He has developed me in many areas. Throwing is mostly all mental and he has made me more self confident with my throwing and as a person. I think he is a great coach.
Besides conference, Hillard is looking forward to the Iowa State Invitational and the Drake Relays.
The Iowa State Invitational Indoor and the Drake Relays Outdoor will be the two biggest meets that I am looking forward to, Hillard said. They are big time meets with big coverage and big throwers. I think that some of the worlds best throwers throw at Drake.
Hillard spent a lot of time this summer trying to improve his strength.
One of the most important things I have tried to improve on was my strength, Hillard said. This summer I worked hard on accomplishing that goal. Now I am trying to incorporate my strength into my technique that I already had.
Hillard is a business administration major but wants to join the Marine Corps after college.
I want to enter into the Marines and do officer training, Hillard said. However, if my throwing keeps improving then I might want to continue that after college. I will have to see how I do this year.
Written by Jolene Harrison, Student Assistant, Athletics Media Relations
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