BILLINGS — All eyes will be locked in on Alyssa Keller at the State AA track and field meet in Butte this weekend, as she’s on state-record watch in the javelin. She’s been getting help from one of the best in Montana history.
“There's this coach that's been helping me on the side, his name is Chris Reno. He told me freshman year I should have tried out and I never did," Keller said. "He always said I'd be good at it, but I never believed him because I'd never done it. Once I did it last year I was like, 'Oh wow. I'm actually pretty good at this.'"
Reno is the West school-record holder in the javelin and went on to throw collegiately at BYU. Division I track wasn’t on Keller’s radar after only beginning as a junior, but she signed with BYU this week to continue at the next level, something that Reno helped play a role in.
“He talked to the coach actually. He just said there's this girl if you want to talk to her if you're interested, then he talked to me. They used to throw together, actually," she said.
It’s been a quick ascension for Keller, but she’s taken advantage by getting to meets all over the country and seeing some of the best competition she can.
“There's definitely big girls, so that was definitely intimidating, but it was really cool to go against people throwing way farther than me because it helped me kind of go at it more," Keller said.
Keller eyes the all-class record of 156-11 set by Columbia Falls’ Anjelica Street in 2019. If Keller can replicate her throw from the Eastern AA divisional, she’ll be just fine.
