Thomas Kitchell has made up his mind. The star Notre Dame-Green Pond thrower will attend Wake Forest University next year. Kitchell will join the program that was once home to Andy Bloom, who won NCAA titles in both the shot put and discus in 1996.
Kitchell enters his senior year as the reigning PIAA Class AAA state champion in the discus. He also took second in the AAA shot put. He boasts personal bests of 185-5 in the discus, 60-5.5 in the shot put, 181-5 in the hammer throw, and 58-00.75 in the indoor weight throw. He will be a major factor once again this year on the state and national scene in the throws.
Kitchell told us he hoping to "go out with a bang" this season. He answered some questions for PennTrackXC on the recruiting process, why Wake Forest is the place for him, and more in a Q&A. Check it out below.
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Why did you choose Wake Forest? What set the Demon Deacons apart?
I chose Wake Forest because I really connected with the coach. I visited the University unofficially several times before official visit. Wake Forest has a reputation of being a prestigious academic institution. I plan on studying business and was really attracted to the business school.
A few reasons why I choose WFU from the athletic perspective is the connection I have with Coach Post and Coach Hayes, their new state-of-the-art training facilities, and the family like team environment.
What other schools did you consider?
Some other schools I considered were University of South Carolina, United States Military Academy at West Point, Montana State University, University of Arkansas, Northeastern University, and United States Naval Academy.
You committed fairly early. How important was it for you to get that commitment in early?
Yes, I committed early because of my connection with WFU coaching staff. The future of the program is bright and I'm excited to be apart of the up and coming Wake Forest throws team. I was lucky to find a program that I felt comfortable with early in the process. As a result, it's taken a lot of stress off of me.
How did you enjoy the entire process?
It was truly something else, I had a lot of fun going on visits and meeting different people. All the coaches that recruited me were great people.
What advice would you give to younger athletes that will soon go through the recruiting process?
Don't worry about coaches contacting you right away, just try to promote yourself by contacting coaches. If you're not comfortable with picking a school, take all five official visits.
The indoor season is right around the corner. How have your preparations been going for your senior year?
These past few years have truly been a great ride. I've had ups and I've had downs. I can only thank my family, my coaches Art Corrigan and Glenn Thompson, and of course God. I couldn't have gotten here without any of them. I've been training extremely hard and I've been critiquing my form so I can try to be even more technically sound. I plan on going out with a bang.
