Local track and field athlete Andreas Troschke has been nominated for a 2016 Athletics Alberta Track and Field award in the midget boys category.
Troschke, who specializes in the hammer throw and discus, is up against three others from across the province who have also been nominated for that honour.
The award winner will be announced during a ceremony in Edmonton on Feb. 18.
Last August, Troschke obtained a silver medal and a personal best in the hammer throw during the Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships Ste. Therese, Que., his best showing ever at the meet. He finished seventh out of 22 in the discus throw.
"I'm pretty excited," Troschke says. "I was pretty proud to hear that actually. I think it's cool to be nominated for that."
"It's based on two-year age categories, so I'm competing against all other 16-,17-year-olds from last season, so my chances (of winning the award) I think are decent, among the four of us. In terms of results at the Nationals I think mine were among the best," he adds.
"But I don't know - we'll see. I'm happy to be nominated and it would be even more awesome to win."
Troschke has been doing track and field for six or seven years now.
"My dad got me into track. I left soccer and was looking for a new sport to do and my dad recommended track because he'd done track when he was a kid," he says.
"So I started with track and then eventually I found out I was good in the throws and stuck with it and here I am."
He's been doing discus for five or six years and the hammer throw for about three years.
"I throw shot put and I run the odd race, but for the most part, it's hammer and discus," he says.
"I like how hammer is a really unique event. It's not something a lot of people can say that they do, let alone are good at, so I'm pretty happy about that," Troschke says. "And, I don't know - I mean, it's easy to like something you do well in, right? So that helps.
"I like the technicality of it, but how it also requires a good amount of strength and athleticism," he adds.
"I might not be the strongest guy and I might not also be the absolute smartest, but when it comes to combining the two of them, I'm very good in both of those disciplines. So it comes together to make one great event for me."
Troschke works hard at it.
"I'm practising technique three days a week and I'm in the gym five days a week lifting, on top of all the other stretch and core exercises I do," he says.
In addition to that, Troschke has to keep on top of his school work and juggle a part-time job.
"I'm a really stereotypical sporty kid. I work with the sports teams to help with game day, organizing all their basketball, volleyball and hockey games," he says.
It was suggested Troschke has to be pretty self-disciplined and organized to fit all that into any given day.
"I like to think I am. I don't know anyone else who's managed to survive with a schedule like this," he says with a laugh.
"My chances (of winning the award) I think are decent, among the four of us. In terms of results at the Nationals I think mine were among the best." ANDREAS TROSCKE
