Noxon's VanVleet headed to Montana Tech

Some folks are just meant to do some things. It may well be a segment of DNA or some kind of Divine intervention, but for some people, certain things are natural and easy.

In the world of shot put and discus throwers, it also helps to be a workout fanatic with exceptional strength and inner fortitude.

Meet Cade VanVleet, Noxon High School’s real-life strongman who also happens to be an outstanding student scholar. As in this year’s Valedictorian at the school nestled among the pined forests of Northwest Montana.

If VanVleet was among a crowd of people coming down the street and you knew he was a good shot putter and assuming you know anything about throwing an iron ball as far as you can, picking the affable young man out of the throng would likely be an easy task.

For large, powerfully built human beings, first impressions are usually preceded by such non-scientific terms as “Holy cow” and “Are you kidding me?”. And yeah, being a successful putter of the shot does require bulk and muscle power that stand out in a crowd.

For VanVleet, all the stereotypes of size and probability end there. This young man is way more than a gifted, extremely strong strong guy.

Don’t let the giant grin fool you. He is very focused and very determined. And not just when it comes to throwing around what folks used to shoot out of cannons.

“I am concentrating on never getting another C or B grade for that matter,” VanVleet said. “I get my work in on the shot put and playing football, but I’m really focused on keeping my grades up and being successful academically”.

That kind of thinking and drive (inner fortitude) fuel VanVleet and are key among the many reasons the recruiters at Montana Tech have convinced him to bring his athletic talents and his academic record to the Butte school this Fall.

And although he has not fully decided on a major field of study, either one will require a brain as strong as the body.

“I’m leaning to civil engineering,” he said. “I may also consider other branches of engineering, but whatever I know I will need to get in the work and I know I’m not done yet. I’m looking forward to the challenge”.

That being said, the spotlight now is in fact on his ability to throw heavy things long distances. And he realizes the sports of shot putting and discus throwing may have found him, not the other way around.

“I’ve been involved in athletics since before the fifth grade,” he said. “I’m not as quick as others and I’m not a distance runner. But I realized I had a chance to do something with the shot put and that’s the direction I headed”.

He has also dabbled in tossing the javelin but that event, he admits, does not seem to come to him as naturally as the weighted ball. He currently trails only rival Walker McDonald of Seeley for best throws in the state this year among all classes.

Two weeks ago, with a new emphasis on technique becoming more of a focus, VanVleet unleashed a throw of 54 feet, temporarily passing McDonald, whose previous best was 51 feet four inches and leap-frogged the Red Devil into first in the B-C distance standings. Later that day, Walker uncorked a throw of 55 feet, ¼ inch to ease past VanVleet and set the stage for a showdown at the upcoming state championships.

“One of the things I like about the shot put is that it is something you can work hard at and keep getting better,” he said. “I’m more motivated now than ever to do get better, use better nutrition and concentrate on what I need to improve”.

And he adds, working on his “technique” or throwing mechanics have become even more of a focus with his senior year winding down and a state championship dangling in front of him.

The 6-foot, 260-plus pound VanVleet has tried other sports and excelled as a linebacker/running back at Noxon High, which plays six man football. He was soon well known to defenders on other teams as a very hard-hitting player on either side of the ball”.

“He’s not a real fun guy to make contact with on the football field,” said one six-man coach. “I’ve seen players on team’s I’ve coached step out of the way when he carries the football toward the pile. He’s a beast on the field”.

To maintain that level of respect and prowess, VanVleet keeps up a goal-oriented weight lifting program to go with proper diet and nutrition.

“I try to monitor the size of the portions of things I eat, to make sure I’m getting what I need”, he said. “And I work out usually four or five times a week, focusing on different muscle groups during each workout. My goal has been to be able to bench press 400 pounds or more by the time I graduate from high school. I’m not quite there yet but I’m close and I will achieve that goal”.

And while his scholarship to Montana Tech is for his track and field abilities, the door has also been left open for him to continue his football career at Tech.

“I’ve been told I would be welcome as a walk-on and I may do that,” he said. “If I made the team, good for me and if I didn’t make it, that would probably be good for my body”.

In two weeks VanVleet’s world will change, no doubt for the better. He will embark on a new level of academics and athletics and, he says, he’s looking forward to the challenge.