Have you ever wondered where an Appel comes from? We don’t know, but we know where he’s going. Matt Appel, a senior, has been offered a spot on Yale University’s throwing team for his talents demonstrated on the Neuqua Valley track and field team. Throwing is a track and field event that includes shot put and discus. In shot put, the athlete throws a spherical ball as far as they can and is measured by marks. Marks are each 5 feet. Discus is similar, except the athlete throws a heavy thick-centered disk and throws in a straight armed motion, also measured in marks. 

Although this is Appel’s passion, it was not always his first choice. Freshman year, Appel  had his mind set on football and was willing to do whatever he needed to stay in a good position for the team. Appel explains, “Ricca was the football coach [freshman year] and he encouraged us to pursue a sport in the off season to keep our competitive spirits up.” Ricca’s top choices for sports were wrestling and track and field, which led Appel to what would become his passion. 

“I didn’t know much going into it, since I didn’t have any siblings to talk to about it, but for me it all started at the beginning of junior year when colleges started sending me letters,” Appel explains about his experiences with the recruiting process. He states that, “a lot of people think that it signifies extreme, extreme interest but it’s more like a reality check saying we have you on our radar.” This is how Yale found themselves on Matt’s radar. He says, “Yale, Cornell, and Brown all pursued me pretty hard and were the first ones to talk about visits, GPAs, and transcripts.” 

After Yale reached out, Appel visited the campus, and for him, that is where, “it just clicked.” It was the place he wanted to spend his next four years. For athletes pursuing a future in throwing, Appel says, “just work hard, because for throwing specifically, it’s a pretty hard thing to get the hang of, so don’t get discouraged after one year of trying it and not having everything click. For me, my marks from freshman to sophomore year improved 15 feet in shot put and 40 feet in disk, so don’t get discouraged.”  Matt is continuing to work hard to improve his marks and stay ready for his future team. We wish Matt Appel well in his future of throwing and academics at Yale University.