Versatility working for Anderson
NEW WILMINGTON — As far as Dalton Anderson is concerned, the breakout year is still coming.
It's just on delay.
The Moniteau graduate and versatile Westminster College track and field athlete had been named the Titans' men's indoor track MVP and was targeting a successful outdoor season.
“I had all of my goals lined up,” he said. “I wanted to make All-American in the javelin, qualify for nationals in the decathlon and break the school javelin record.
“Of course, all of that went away.”
The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out all NCAA spring sports — and left Anderson looking to build momentum toward next season.
He's got plenty to build from.
Anderson has already accumulated three track and field team MVP awards at Westminster, twice in indoors and once in outdoors. He finished second in the high jump, third in the 60-meter hurdles at the Presidents' Athletic Conference Indoor Championships earlier this year.
His best throw in the javelin is 194 feet, one inch. The Titans' record is 216-8.
“Just practicing on my own, doing little workouts, making progress in my flexibility ... I hit 208 feet in the javelin just recently,” Anderson said. “I know I'm getting there.”
“The javelin is his best (outdoor) event,” Westminster track and field coach Tim McNeil said. “The hurdles and high jump are probably second.
“Dalton can do so many things. We've built our program around him for the past two years.”
Westminster placed third at the PAC indoor meet, trailing Geneva and Grove City.
“The indoor meet was one day and Dalton competed in five events,” McNeil said. “He even stepped in and ran a leg of our 4x400 relay. That kid is all about the team.”
Anderson qualified for NCAA Div. III Nationals in the javelin last year, finishing 12th. The top eight placers earn All-American status.“I should have been there,” he said of the top eight. “I just didn't get it done. I definitely got some motivation from that.”He's received some additional help as well, in the form of his former high school throwing coach, Ryan Protzman, who joined the Westminster staff this year.“I didn't get much chance to work with Dalton in high school,” Protzman said. “They always had him on the track.“Now he's a mature athlete who's physically developed. He's motivated and hungry.”Anderson plans to compete in the heptathlon — 60-meter dash, shot put, long jump, 60-hurdles, pole vault, 1,000 meters and high jump — during the next indoor season.The decathlon — which he was to delve into this spring — consists of the pole vault, high jump, long jump, javelin, shot put, discus, 110-meter hurdles, 100 meters, 400 meters and 1,500 meters. Anderson will now pursue that next year.“I need to make it all count now. One year left,” he said.Protzman believes he's well on his way.“When you're a decathlete, you have to get the right sleep, eat the right foods. Dalton is getting to understand that now,” Protzman said.“He has to train his body like a machine to endure the multi-events. By the time nationals roll around, decathletes are nicked and bruised up. It's the ones who endure, who are able to score points in all the events, that succeed.”With Protzman coaching him, Anderson is confident of a big finish to his collegiate career.“Ryan's already been a huge help to me,” Anderson said. “He knows what he's talking about. I'm so glad he's here.”Anderson helped get him there. While back home doing an off-season workout with him, “I mentioned Coach McNeil was looking for a throwing coach.”Protzman applied and the rest is history.“It's great working with him,” Protzman said of Anderson. “All he cares about is the team. That's why he's doing all of these events. He wants to score as much as he can so the team succeeds.”Anderson is majoring in business and marketing.
