Athlete in the spotlight: Joel Krebs
by Taylor Martin, Reporter
Sophomore year: first time ever throwing the javelin. Junior year: National Champion in the javelin. Joel Krebs’ story is one that comes straight out of Hollywood. His first year at Fox he wasn’t even on the track team, and now, just three years later, he has is eyes set upon a school record and maybe even an Olympic qualifying mark.
Krebs never competed in track in high school, but once he came to Fox his roommate saw the natural potential in him. “Brian [See] attempted to convert me into a long jumper. I decided to stick with the intramural sports as I had never considered track before.” Interestingly enough, it was through intramurals that Krebs was convinced he needed to participate in track and field. “After playing on coach John Smith’s flag football team, he approached me, told me I have a ‘cannon’ for an arm, and convinced me that I should be throwing the javelin.” At first, Krebs was pretty hesitant, but through a lot of hard work and some good times with the team Joel’s talent blossomed. He found his niche in javelin and hasn’t doubted his decision since. “The javelin is by far the best event. It requires minimum running and you get to chuck a spear across a field for distance... what a great event.”
By the end of last season (his junior year) Krebs had already made his mark upon the NCAA Division III level. Going into nationals Krebs was ranked second. Along with the already daunting task of facing the top competitors in the country, the national meet brought some adverse conditions Krebs’ way. Facing a sore elbow and poor weather, Krebs was crowned national champion thanks to a throw of 198 feet.
Krebs is looking forward to another great year of track and field, and not just from a personal standpoint. Surrounded by the biggest team in years, Krebs says they are looking forward to making a splash on the national scene, “Overall, we have very strong team and we could potentially earn a high rank at nationals.” He says, “I am just looking forward to conference this year, which will be a hosted by Fox, and I am really hoping that the entire school will just show up to support us.”
Beyond the athletic accomplishments lies a driven and gifted student who has some good plans for his life after graduation. Armed with business marketing major and an art minor Krebs plans to pursue a career in graphic design. “Someday, I plan on marketing my own graphic logos and photo editing to local startup companies.”
Krebs says he is blessed to have come to a great school like George Fox University. Whether it be the great team he is a part of, the good coaches above him, the solid academics that our school has to offer, or the importance placed upon spiritual development Krebs is grateful for all of his experiences at Fox. Krebs says, “God has taught me so much about myself in the past three and a half years, and I feel like sometimes that is worth more to me than even the educational [and athletic] aspect.”