Elle Adrian's Standout Season Continues
4/25/2025 10:25:00 AM | Track and Field
By Gina Guy
For msuspartans.com
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Elle Adrian didn't initially set out to become a track and field star. Adrian, who grew up in Standish, Michigan, originally had her heart set on going to the military academies.
She tried her hand at a variety of sports, with her parents encouraging her to stay active and explore different activities.
"I started with soccer when I was really young, then I moved into T-ball and softball," Adrian said. "In middle school, I played basketball and softball, and when I got to high school, my parents had a rule that I had to be in three sports."
This led Adrian to continue in basketball and volleyball in her freshman year, but she wasn't sure what her third sport would be. That's when her parents suggested track and field.
"They were like, 'Let's just try track,' and I was like, 'Sure,' and that's how I got started with throwing shot put and discus," Adrian said.
Adrian's commitment to track grew throughout high school, and by her senior year, she had added throwing to her list of accomplishments, alongside volleyball and basketball.
"I stuck with track all four years of high school. I just loved it, especially the throwing events," she said.
Athletics ran in the family, as her mother, Kendra, played basketball at Michigan State, along with the rest of her family members being Spartans. So when her military goal fell through, the choice was easy.
In her freshman year, she threw a 47.97m in hammer throw at the Spartan Invite for fifth- place, as well as a 20.74m in weight throw at the GVSU Holiday Open, awarding her first.
Fast forward to her junior year at MSU, Adrian's ability in the weight throw earned second-team All-American honors at the Indoor Track & Field Championships. Her journey from a high school athlete with no track experience, to All-American was something Adrian had worked toward for years.
"This was definitely a goal of mine," she said, recalling the moment she earned the All-American honors. "After Big Ten's, I knew I was likely going to nationals, but it wasn't until I was there that it really hit me. I remember calling my parents after the pre-meet and telling them about the competition. I was in shock, realizing I was competing alongside the best of the best."
Her performance at nationals was a bit nerve-wracking, but it was also rewarding, knowing she had gotten to a point she worked so hard to get to.
"It didn't go as well as I had hoped, but it was still such an honor to be there. Even though I didn't have the perfect performance, I felt proud of myself for reaching that point. It was like I had set my goal, worked hard, and smashed it."
Adrian credits her throwing coach, Derrick Vicars, for her progress and the place she's at now, saying the best advice he has given is to have fun and to not put too much pressure on herself.
"It wasn't really until this year that I didn't put as much stress on myself and just kind of went with it to have fun and laugh with my teammates, and not think about, 'Am I gonna do good? Am I gonna do bad? Am I gonna disappoint people?' That's when I saw a lot of progress for this year." she said.
Vicars describes Adrian as a hard worker who keeps a level head, and has had consistent improvements that he's seen being by her side for two solid years of training.
"She's a quick learner and has really improved on her technique. She didn't throw the weight in high school. When she came from basically zero to now her fourth year, she's been able to take that now to where she's a national level athlete" Vicars said.
Adrian's competitive drive continues to fuel her success as the outdoor season begins. She's already broken the school record for the weight throw, one that she had previously set herself, and aims to achieve even more this year, including a shot at regional and national titles.
"My next goal is to make it to regionals for outdoors, and hopefully break the record again."
When it comes to handling the pressures of competition, Adrian has learned the importance of staying calm and resetting after a bad throw or a tough day.
"After a bad throw, I just try to clear my mind completely. I pretend that throw didn't even happen, it's all about moving forward. After a competition, I follow the 24-hour rule—take a day to process it, then get back to work and focus on what went right."
Looking to the future, Adrian plans to stay for a fifth year at Michigan State, continuing her track career and pursuing her education in criminal justice.
"I'm hoping to earn my master's degree next year and get started in my career," she said. "I want to work in an organization that helps prevent things like human trafficking, which is something I'm really passionate about."
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Players Mentioned
