I've been fortunate enough to go to the NCAA Championships a couple of times, but something about this year's trip was just different.
You could feel the weight of it all.
There were cameras following us around and constantly asking us questions relating to the event. Personally, I'd never experienced anything like that before.
But if I'm being honest, it was sort of nice. We work so hard to get to that point — it was nice to get a bit of the spotlight and recognition.
As a Big Ten champion competing on a national stage, all I thought about was what I needed to do to pop the big one — you know, that big throw that would shoot me to the top of the leaderboard.
You work hard, show up and shoot your best shot. As an athlete, that's really all you can do.
But I never popped the big one that day. And that's okay.
It took me a while to realize I didn't need to when it came to validating my career as a student-athlete. The valuable lessons, unforgettable experiences, and lifelong friendships I've found in my journey from North Dakota State to Nebraska were so, so much bigger.