Track & Field | November 30, 2017

USC team captain and junior thrower Matt Katnik is training for his third season as a Trojan, coming off of a successful sophomore year.  Katnik currently ranks ninth on USC's all-time shot put list for his 11^th- place throw at the 2017 USA Track and Field Championships.  He also placed 16th at the 2017 NCAA Championships in the shot put. We took some time to chat with Katnik about his roots in track and field, his new role as a captain, and his dreams for after graduation.

Q:  Why did you choose USC?

MK:  It was the best place for me to come study business and train under a great coach, Coach (Dan) Lange.  I am so thankful that he gave me the opportunity to come here. Getting a scholarship was one of my dreams.  I grew up a Trojan fan, my dad played football here, so being a USC athlete has always been a dream.  I thought I would be coming for football, but track was my path and God called me to that so I stuck with it.

Q:  What got you into track and field?

MK:  I played football in high school for all four years and I ended up picking up track the spring of my freshman year because I wanted a break from football.  It was something different and it was a great choice.  Sophomore year I got really serious about it, and things started to pick up.  Junior year went well and then senior year was a pinnacle year, where everything fell into place, recruiting picked up, and I got really lucky to get to come to SC.

Q:  Why did you choose throwing?

MK:  My uncle was a thrower, and he passed away when I was in the fourth grade.  He taught my dad how to throw and my dad taught me how to throw when I was in the eighth grade  It was just something fun we did and then freshman year I thought that it would be fun to do to get away from football because football can be kind of overbearing.  I stuck with it because of my dad and I thought it would be a good way to honor my Uncle Andrew.  I won a state championship on the 10th anniversary of his death, so it was something really special.

Q:  How do you balance student life and academics with track and field?

MK:  One of the best decisions I made was to live off campus with a few non-athletes and a few athletes, so I have a nice mix. I live with two teammates who are also throwers, and I live with one of my best friends, who I grew up with since kindergarten, and then one kid who I met at USC my freshman year. Having that mix gives us something to talk about besides just track.  The conversation is usually sports based because we all like sports, but one of our roommates is into film so we often talk about film or new movies.  I have seen a lot more movies because he has encouraged me to and it provides a lot more balance in my life.  I get encouraged to study more because of my roommates and I have been really, really lucky to find this good mix of roommates.
 
Q:  What is your favorite memory during your time so far here at USC?

MK:  My favorite memory at USC was the Rose Bowl victory over Penn State.  I was lucky enough to be in the stands there, and I was so worried that we were going to lose because they went on that 21 point run, and then we came back and I couldn't have picked a better way to end it on that game-winning field goal.  That was my favorite memory.

Q:  What does it mean to you to be a captain?

MK:  I am really lucky to be a captain.  I am so happy that Coach Caryl (Smith Gilbert) selected me, as well as the team.  I think that being a captain means leading by example and not leading in a way where it is you do as I say, it is you do as I do, so setting the example by living the example.  Promoting excellence every day, whether it be in track, in school, in social life.  My biggest thing is to try to promote excellence through my actions and not just my words.

Q:  What is your favorite USC tradition?

MK:  Getting a bacon-wrapped Victory dog after football games. Getting one of those bad boys, those are pretty good.

Q:  Do you have any pre-throw rituals?

MK:  Pre-throw, I do the Sign of the Cross and I just wish myself that God will be with me. I don't ask Him to help me throw a PR or to help me win, I just pray that He is with me and keeps me safe.  I got that one from Clayton Kershaw, he's a great guy.  Just Sign of the Cross, God be with me, and go let it rip.

Q:  What are your plans for after you leave USC?

MK:  After college, I would like to finish up some secondary schooling, try to get my Master's in something, and continue to throw, if I stay healthy. I also want to start my own company and that is a big part of my close friend and I's dream, to start a company together selling real estate. Our goal is to sell real estate in Southern California.  We have been planning it out, just talking and messing around, but we do want to start our own company.

 Q:  Whether you continue to throw or not, what will you take with you from the program here after you leave?

MK:  The biggest thing is hard work, picking one thing and sticking to it. I chose to come to USC being a student athlete and I am going to leave being a student athlete, so picking that one thing and being the best student athlete I can be is something I have learned.  Along with that comes hard work and dedication.  Without those two things, it is hard to be successful in anything.  I've learned how to lead and I want to take the leadership skills that I have learned being a captain and apply those to the outside world.