I was introduced to strength training early in life.  At the age of 12, my father, a former power lifter, started me out with a broomstick to learn the proper technique in the bench, squat, and assistance exercises.  The training I went through with my father developed a strength foundation and I became a great all-around athlete.  I was later introduced to the Olympic movements by Greg Kustra, a strength coach from Carroll, Iowa.  By adding the snatch and clean & jerk to my strength training program, I became a much more explosive and powerful athlete. During high school I participated in four sports but one of my greatest passions in sport was track & field.  I firmly believe that the strength training and Olympic weightlifting I had been working on gave me an advantage over all other athletes.  I became a two-time Iowa High School State Champion in the shot put as well as a two-time Drake Relays Champion in the high school shot put division. 

As the result of my success in the shot put ring, I attended the University of Iowa where I had a phenomenal throwing career.  I became the Big Ten Champion in shot put, Big Ten runner up in the discus, a two time NCAA Qualifier in shot put, and was twice selected as team captain.  My best throws are ranked on the Iowa All-Time Track & Field Records.  I hold the 3rd All-Time Best Indoor Shot Put with a throw of 61’2”, 3rd All-Time Best Outdoor Shot Put with a throw of 62’2 ¼”, and 9th All-Time Discus with a throw of 178’7”.

While competing at Iowa the Olympic weightlifting movements were still a vital part of my strength training program.  It was originally my college strength coach, Damon Davis, who got me interested in pursuing weightlifting as a competitive sport. 

After graduating from Iowa in 2008, I made my way to the northern suburbs of Chicago where I began training with Roger Nielsen, a two-time Olympic Head Coach.  Since my first national meet in December 2008 at the American Open Championship, I have made continuous gains in the snatch and the clean & jerk as well as my overall total.  I have placed in the top three in several national competitions and rank among the top lifters in the US.  My ultimate goals include capturing a national title and qualifying for upcoming international competitions.

Most recently I have been selected to represent Team USA at the Pan-American Championships in Antigua, Guatemala May 11th-19th.  I hope to achieve new personal bests, capture a spot on the podium, and help the men’s team capture a spot for the 2012 Olympics.

**UPDATE!!  At the 2012 Pan-American Weightlifting Championship I succeeded in making it onto the podium by clean & jerking a personal best 212k to take 3rd overall in the clean & jerk!  I took 4th in the snatch and placed 4th overall.  I am very happy with my performance and see this as the jumping off point for bigger lifts in the future!  Check out my picture and video pages to see my performances!

I would like to thank my family, friends, coaches, and teammates for all the support they have shown me in my pursuit of Olympic weightlifting greatness.  I thank you for the continual love and support you have shown me over the years.  I cannot wait to see what the future brings and look forward to having all of you there to support me.  Thank you!