Frizzell Takes Road Less Traveled to Stardom

By David Boyce

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- After Drew Frizzell completed his redshirt freshman season in the throws at Central Missouri, he headed off to the Air National Guard reserves for training.

It was the summer of 2008 and Frizzell believed the 30 pounds he dropped after track and field season was enough for basic training.

Frizzell quickly learned he wasn't close to the desired weight. He had to drop 70 pounds in two months.

"I got a lot of discipline and mental toughness," Frizzell said. "Losing 70 pounds in two months, I put my body through some pretty tough stuff.

"I lost 32 pounds in 10 days. I learned a lot about being respectful and appreciate the things you do have. Anything can be taken away from you at anytime."

Frizzell, a native of Chillicothe, had to make a choice. He joined the Air National Guard reserves because of patriotism and a desire to learn about the B2 Stealth Bomber.

"I wouldn't have put my track career on hold and lost 70 pounds for just anything or Regular Joe stuff," he said.

After nearly a year in the reserves, Frizzell realized he couldn't do both. To reach his goal as a world class weight and hammer thrower he knew one day he would have to get close to 300 pounds.

There are no 300-pound people in the Air Force.

Maybe it's a coincidence or just natural physical maturity, but Frizzell returned to Central Missouri his sophomore year and won the national indoor weight throw and the outdoor hammer throw.

It was quite impressive when you consider that Frizzell had to put the weight back on to throw the 35-pound weight throw.

"He pretty much couldn't really throw when he first got back," said Central Missouri throws coach Tucker Woolsey. "The 35-pound weight would throw him, but he worked tremendously hard to get that back."

Frizzell was used to winning titles in championship meets. He won two Missouri 3 titles in the shot and one in the disc at Chillicothe.

The two national titles he won last year meant a lot to him for family reasons.

"It was special for my mom (Lisa Frizzell) more than anything," Frizzell said. "I told Tucker and Kip (Janvrin) when I got here we would win one. I look at it as just the first step to bigger and better things.

"But it was really special. I won the outdoor hammer, also. That was pretty awesome. It was good to see my mom there and have her smile."

Frizzell has every intention to make a few more people smile this season as he hopes to build on last year.

He has already earned two MIAA track athletes of the week. His weight throw of 68-3 ¾ feet is the second-best in NCAA Division II. He's already qualified for nationals in the weight throw and shot put.

"I think he's had a good start to indoor season," Woolsey said. "Right now he hasn't thrown further than he threw last year, but his consistency has been much better and his average throw has been much better.

"We are looking forward to getting into our championship season where we have our conference and national meets and seeing some big things happen in the next couple of weeks."

It's the time of the season that Frizzell really looks forward to. The MIAA Championships are Feb. 26-28 in Joplin, Mo., and the national meet is March 12-13 in Albuquerque, N.M.

"We are right where we need to be right now," Frizzell said. "Only one meet matters now and that's when the fireworks go off. It's nationals, the one you get rings for. Nobody remembers anything else."

Regardless of the meet, Frizzell likes to compete.

"There are people who are practice throwers and there are competition throwers," he said. "I would consider myself a meet thrower. I show up when I need to."

To reach David Boyce, contributing writer for the MIAA, e-mail dboyce@themiaa.com.