Champen’s Intention to Return: Unfinished Business
4/24/2020 11:11:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Senior pole vault star Christian Champen knew he did not want this to be how his Kent State career came to an end. The All-American had just completed an unprecedented indoor campaign in which he went undefeated while winning his first Mid-American Conference title and was just weeks from opening his final outdoor season at the Raleigh Relays.
In an Instagram post on March 13 reacting to the NCAA's announcement from the previous day that this year's remaining winter and spring championships were canceled, Champen stated, "If at all possible, I personally will be extending my time here at Kent State in order to compete in my last outdoor season in the spring of 2021."
Champen knew he did not want his career to end in the unknown. He has been working on building his legacy since the first time he stepped on Kent State's campus. Kent has always been where Champen belonged.
"When I got on campus and saw how beautiful it was, that was the biggest deciding factor for me," said Champen. "I always really liked places that were just visually appealing and felt comfortable to be in."
Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Bill Lawson knew Champen was special from the moment he arrived on campus as a freshman. The incredible speed, strength, athleticism, coordination, and spatial awareness that pole vault requires out of its athletes has always come natural to him. What really sets him apart is what coach Lawson calls "want to."
"He has the desire. He wants to be good and wants to jump high, and probably the most important ingredient in any success that you have in sport is just that unbelievable desire to want to be good," Lawson said.
Alongside his unparalleled motivation to be great, Champen has grown immensely since arriving at Kent State.
"Besides the physical maturity, he's had an emotional growth and maturity," added Lawson. "He's becoming more focused and honed-in on the skill that he loves to do. He's always been gifted, he's had a lot of talent, but he's now been able to focus that talent both mentally and psychologically."
This growth, coupled with his desire to be great, has really paid off. Champen is currently the indoor and outdoor record holder in the pole vault at Kent State. He is also coming off completing an undefeated indoor season in the event. While there were a couple scares, including at the MAC Championships, Champen held strong and finished the season 7-0. His undefeated season also marked the first time Akron lost the pole vault title in the last 12 years.
"I've been trying to win that conference title for four years now, and I didn't even realize that Kent, or anyone besides Akron, hadn't won [for the past 12 years] until after the competition … so when they told me that, I was pretty excited and that's a great accomplishment," Champen commented.
Unfortunately, Champen's hot streak has been halted due to the outbreak of COVID-19. When the NCAA announced that the remainder of the winter and spring sports seasons were being canceled, Champen and his teammates were extremely sad about this news, especially because no one saw it coming.
Social distancing rules have further closed athletic facilities and forced athletes to get creative with training regimens. Following a much-deserved two-week break, Champen is slowly working his way back into his full training routine. He has mainly focused on staying in good shape, running outside when the weather permits and gymnastics training.
"I definitely do a lot of exercises on my hands. I try to be upside down a lot at home. It sounds simple, but practicing being upside down helps a lot for pole vault. It just gives you that comfortability being upside down in an awkward situation," Champen said.
When the NCAA announced that it is granting spring student-athletes an additional season of eligibility, Champen rejoiced in having another opportunity to compete for the Golden Flashes. Clearing 18 feet, winning a second MAC Championship and a top-8 finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships to earn First Team All-America honors are among his goals for the 2021 outdoor season.
"That atmosphere [at nationals] was unlike anything I had ever experienced before," Champen commented. "It felt like a professional competition, almost, with literally the best athletes in the world at one competition. That experience was unforgettable for me."
Like any elite track and field athlete, Champen's Olympic dream reigns supreme.
"I would say my biggest goal is to qualify for the Olympic Trials and have a shot at making the Olympic Team, because obviously I have always wanted to be an Olympian. And it felt like, had they not postponed the Olympics until next year, obviously, it would have been a lot harder for me to even reach that opportunity because people in college don't really have the opportunity to train right now. But since the Olympics got postponed, I feel like that gives me not only a little bit of extra time to train, but just for my body to grow," Champen said.
Eight Kent State track and field student-athletes have reached Olympian status, but none have ever competed in pole vault. Coach Lawson believes that Champen could be the first.
"I think he has a lot better things, a lot bigger things on the horizon".
When Champen's time at Kent State comes to an end, he plans to continue with his track and field career. He wants to become a professional and be sponsored by a brand such as Nike, Under Armour, Adidas or similar brand. In addition to allowing him to continue competing, Champen hopes that a sponsorship will result in a relationship with one of these brands that will lead to a job in which he can put his degree in digital media production to use.
"Where I would use my degree would be in advertising campaigns, like commercials and things like that. But I would want to be able to be in front of the camera as the actor or promoter or influencer, and also have a say in what goes on behind the camera in editing techniques and stuff like that," Champen said.
Champen concluded a recent phone interview with an uplifting and motivational message for people during these trying times that he believes we will remember for the rest of our lives.
"I think it's important for everyone to, regardless of their situation, try to make the most of it. It seems like there is … a lot of upside that can come out when this all blows over as long as people do the best they can to … stay focused and use this opportunity to come back better … But I definitely do all I can to make the most of my last season next year."
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