NHS alum Madison in tonight’s Olympic trials
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One of Newton’s own will try to punch a ticket to London tonight to compete on the world’s biggest athletic stage — the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Chase Madison, a 2004 Newton Senior High School graduate, competes tonight in the U.S. Olympic discus trial finals in Eugene, Ore. Preliminary trials were on Monday, and Madison’s top throw of 59.55 meters (195 feet, 4 inches) was good enough to make today’s field of 12 finalists. He’ll need a throw of at least 63.75 meters (209 feet) to meet the Olympic automatic standard. He hopes to join Lolo Jones and Iowa State graduate Lisa Uhl as Iowa-natives in the Summer Games.
The finals will be televised live tonight on NBC Sports Network, beginning at 8 p.m.
Madison, who lives in Cedar Falls, left NHS as one of the best athletes in Cardinal history and one of the best throwers in the history of Iowa high school sports. In his senior season, he won the state championship in both the shot put and discus with throws of 66 feet even and 206 feet, 9 inches — marks that are both second-best all-time in Iowa. He was named the 2004 Drake Relays Most Outstanding Boys High School Performer after shattering the Relays discus record by more than 15 feet, and also winning the shot put. He was also a second-team all-state selection in football. He was named Iowa’s Gatorade Athlete of the Year for 2004. In his junior track season, he took second at state in discus and third in shot put.
After high school, Madison went on to an illustrious collegiate career. He spent 2005 and 2006 at Iowa State, earning All-American honors his sophomore season. He then transferred to the University of Kentucky, where he was an All-American in 2007 and 2008. He was the 2008 Southeastern Conference discus champion. He spent time as a men’s basketball strength and conditioning intern under coach Todd Forcier. He earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and health promotion from the Kentucky in August of 2009.
Madison, 27, competed in the 2008 Olympic trials and in the 2009 and 2010 USA Track & Field Championships.
In 2009, Madison moved onto Illinois State University, where he was a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach while earning his Master’s degree in sports psychology. He is also a USA Weightlifting Certified Sports Performance Coach.
Chase’s parents are Wayne and Linda Madison, who live in Newton.
