Colton Paller was a three-sport letterman at Shelton (WA) High School, excelling in football, wrestling and track.

Like every other high school athlete his dream was to earn a scholarship to compete at the collegiate level.

But nobody recruited him out of high school.

Somebody should have. Wyoming is certainly glad it finally did.

Tonight at 5:30 p.m., the Cowboy senior will be one of 24 of the nation's best discus throwers competing for the national title at the NCAA Track & Field Outdoor Championships, hosted by the University of Oregon.

Colton's on the big stage.

I had a delightful 30-minute conversation with him yesterday as he experiences the euphoria of being a part of the Championships. Talk about an impressive guy.  Very articulate, majoring in statistics, and competing in the national championship.  I'd say he has it going on.

But his road to becoming in the implement world of college track and field wasn't quite like all of that. In fact, he didn't have it going on.

He produced outstanding credentials at Shelton, especially in track and football. He placed in both the discus and shot put at the Washington State High School Championship.  He holds the school's longest run from scrimmage record (92 yards) and its kick-return mark (99 yards).  He was a team captain in both football and wrestling, finishing fourth his senior year as a 195-pound grappler.

Yet nobody knocked on his door.

"I loved all three sports because I love to compete," he says.  "But I wasn't getting recruited for any of it by anybody.  Here I was graduating from high school, and didn't think I was going to get an athletic scholarship."

But his best friend was being recruited by Olympic College, a two-year school in Bremerton.  "His coach came to school to talk to him.  I decided to go there with him."

His success in junior college that finally drew interest from several colleges, including Wyoming.  "I flew out there, met the team and really felt good about it.  

"You know, I wasn't sure I would make it. But if you want it bad enough, you'll figure it out."

He obviously has figured it out.

Prior to this, his last year, Colton dedicated himself to the goal of getting to the Championships.

His throws coach Carrie Lane spoke to our Director of Digital Strategy John Durgee about Colton.

"He came to my office at the end of the 2019 season and asked me, 'what do I need to do to compete at the national level?'  

"We discussed several attributes of national-level throwers—physical and mental—and he immediately started working to improve his skills," Carrie continued.  "And so it means a great deal that he has been able to see his goal through to get to this meet in his final season.  I'm excited that we can continue to represent the Wyoming uniform at the national meet."

During the COVID break, Colton went back to his hometown and trained.  "Everything was closed down, but I would hop the fence of my high school and train by myself.  I really dedicated myself to being ready.

"And Coach Lane really helped me.  She helped me mentally.  She is outstanding at teaching technique, but she also worked with me about the mental aspect. She taught me how to think differently about the throw.  There's a lot of technical stuff which I won't go into, but she completely changed my thinking. It really clicked.  

"She also helped me with my confidence and my mental approach.  "I remember my first big meet was at Arizona State.  I tensed up when I saw all those PAC-12 throwers.  Carrie has helped me overcome that. 'Treat each meet like it's just another meet', she told me.  She keeps me grounded."

And how.

Colton has won four meets this season and earned his way to the national championship by qualifying at the NCAA West Prelims two weeks ago.

"Unless you are super talented, it boils down to how bad you want it," Colton says. "It's about hard work, it's about competing.  I enjoy doing both."

He credits wrestling with making the biggest impact on him.  "You have to be gritty and you have to be tough to wrestle.  It taught me how to deal with adversity.  Believe me, as a sophomore in high school I got beat up every day.  But by the time I was a senior I was very competitive.  When you compete you have to have the mindset that you want to take your opponent's soul.  Since I was in pee-wees I wanted to compete.  But wrestling took me to a different level."

In his final season as a Cowboy, Paller has positioned himself to accomplish the ultimate.  "This week has been really exciting.  To be around all of these great athletes at this beautiful venue (Hayward Field in Eugene) has been a dream come true. Believe me I'll be fighting this weekend for Wyoming.  I want a place on that podium."

Again, Coach Lane: "Our expectation for the competition is the same as always, be excellent at our craft.  Colton has used these extra weeks to perfect his technique and our agenda is to throw our best mark to earn three more throws in the finals. Hayward Field—with its state-of-the-art renovations—is the most historic and proudest stage for track and field in the country.  It's an honor to compete on the infield here."

What an experience for quite a guy.  Wyoming will be watching you Colton with great pride.