Wide-eyed and excited, Erika Beistle just wanted to have some fun while she was competing.
The Grand Valley State athlete qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the discus and was looking forward to competing with the best in the country.
Turns out, she was one of them.
Beistle, from Big Rapids, finished fourth at the trials, just missing the Olympics.
It completely changed the trajectory of her career.
She came back for her senior year at GVSU on a mission and has already reached new levels, throwing 66.63 meters in the discus, the top distance this year, not only in the NCAA but the entire United States, including professionals.
It all started with the confidence she gained being able to unleash at trials with no pressure.
“It was definitely a crazy experience,” Beistle said. “I don’t think my coach or I was expecting that. The goal was to qualify and have fun at trials and get to compete against some amazing athletes. I had this attitude that I am here, why not compete to the best of my ability? I had no expectations and nothing to prove. I broke a couple records and it missed out on qualifying but just a little bit. It gave me a better idea of my capabilities as an athlete and my future in the sport. It was a surreal experience for sure. It was extremely validating. The second or third round, I was like, ‘Hey, I am kinda good at this.’ I just gave it all I had in the finals and had some good throws. I ended up throwing the 62.50 meters on the last throw to put me fourth. It was an inch or two away from going, but it was a great experience.”
And it turns out, it was only the beginning of those experiences. Now she is a repeat NCAA champion in the discus after a winning throw on Friday, May 23, of 65.05 meters (213 feet, 5 inches) — a meet record, leading a 1-2 finish with teammate Maggie Stevenson (55.64).
“My coach and I talk about not wanting the trials to be a fluke. My goal was to throw 65 meters. I knew I could do it. I knew I had some bigger throws in me. Setting that goal and exceeding those expectations has shown how much we are figuring things out and keep building,” she said.
That happened quickly this outdoor season with her 66.63 personal best.
“We had just gotten back from Texas and it was our first home meet,” she said. “The week before, I was starting to see a lot of big numbers on the world ranking list. Our goal is to make it to nationals and worlds later this summer. I needed to go 64.50 to auto qualify. It ended up being a record-breaking throw and it was a really fun day. Every day since I have been chasing consistency as a 60-meter-plus discus thrower,” she said.
Not many throwers are consistently at that level in the entire world.
“The goal is the 2028 Olympics. This is my last outdoor season. It is sad but also really awesome. I wanted to do something special again and qualify for World Athletics,” she said.
Beistle isn’t planning on going anywhere else to train, but continuing to train for 2028 in Allendale.
“I am going to stay with coach Conley. He has made a world of difference in my life. He cares not only about me as an athlete but me as a person and that relationship is going to carry me quite a distance,” she said. “It has been an amazing four years being able to experience the culture and coaching staff that Grand Valley has. Having that support from the entire team and the love for the sport keeps this going.”
Contact Holland Sentinel sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: GVSU’s Erika Beistle crushes NCAA record in discus for title
