N.D. Class B high school track and field meet preview: He's making it look easy
Cavalier senior Chrest is one of state’s best in first season of track
By: Greg DeVillers, Grand Forks Herald
There never was time for track for Brandon Chrest.
The Cavalier High School senior plays baseball in the spring. And, until this year, his time away from the diamond was taken up by travel-team basketball tournaments. But with no college basketball in his future, Chrest had some free time.
“Everyone said I should try track,” Chrest said. “And I’m glad I did.”
Chrest may be a track rookie, but he’s taken to the sport quickly. He’s not only a qualifier for the North Dakota Class B high school track meet this weekend in Bismarck — Chrest is a top-five seed in two events.
“Now I wish I’d done track before,” said Chrest, who plans to play football at North Dakota State University in the future. “It would have helped my form. I’m going on natural athletic ability now; I have no form.”
The 6-foot-4 Chrest is tied for the No. 2 seed in the high jump, one of four who enter state with a season-best jump of 6 feet, 2 inches, and he’s cleared 6-5 in practice. In the 100, the senior is seeded fifth with a season-best time of 11.15 seconds. He also qualified individually in the 200 and long jump, but instead plans to run the 4x100 and 4x200 relays.
“Anything I put Brandon in, he’s excelled,” Cavalier coach Andrew Hay said. “It’s one of the craziest things I’ve seen. He’s just a total natural athlete. If he went out for golf, he’d be good at that, too. He excels at everything he does.
“When we convinced him to come out, it was pretty much just to run relays. Then he wanted to try the 100, and he barely missed qualifying the first time he ran it. It’s been a high ride for him ever since.”
Chrest, a pitcher-infielder who bats fourth in the Cavalier baseball lineup, said, “It’s surprised me. I thought I could be decent and help the team some. I was hoping I could qualify for state. I never thought I’d do this well.
“Now I’ll be disappointed if I don’t place high. When you do something well once, the expectations change.”
This figures to be a busy week for Chrest and fellow senior track-baseball athletes Brennan Thorlakson and Brady Robbins. They’re playing in the Region 4 baseball tournament, which began Monday and concludes Wednesday. On Thursday, it’s off to Bismarck for the trio. Thorlakson is a state qualifier in the triple jump. Robbins, like Chrest a first-year track athlete, qualified in the javelin.
“It will be a tough week for them,” Hay said. “But they’re all good athletes. I think they can do well at state.”
The seniors also are trying to close a school year that has been a mixture of success and disappointment. Cavalier was undefeated region champion in football, but was eliminated in the state playoff semifinals. In basketball, the Tornadoes’ bid for a second straight trip to the Class B state tournament ended with a loss to Grafton in the region championship game.
“It’s been a good year, but there have been disappointments,” Chrest said. “We want to end the year on a good note.”
GOOD JOB BRANDON, BEST OF LUCK TO ALL THE TORNADOES AT STATE!!