Texas State junior long/triple jumper Chris Preddie enters the 2024-25 track and field season with am impressive collegiate resume to his name.
After winning the Sun Belt Conference Championship in both the indoor and outdoor seasons last year, Preddie now has his sights set on a national championship.
Preddie jumped his personal best during the triple jump with a jump of 51’2.75 (15.61). When asked how he felt at that moment of winning, Preddie said it was surreal.
“I knew I could do it,” Preddie said. “Honestly, it was surreal. I feel like every year there is something that happens; like my freshman year, I got hurt, which is always the case for me. To finally be able to put the pieces together for the whole year is exciting to me.”
Texas State jumps coach Kendall Gustafson worked with Preddie all three of his years at Texas State. Gustafson said she was not surprised by Freddie’s success.
“I get to watch him every day at practice, so I know what he’s capable of,” Gustafson said. “I wasn’t surprised. It has gotten to the point with [Chris] where when he does something that other people are blown away by. I’m not really surprised; he doesn’t have a limit really.”
The Little River Academy native opened the 2024 indoor season finishing in fourth place in the long jump with a jump of 23’10.25″ (7.27). He finished in first place in six different meets throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons.
“I feel like I can be in contention of winning NCAA,” Preddie said. “Even above that it is a world championships year, so I want to be able to compete in that and give my best effort. Whatever my body allows me to do, be happy and smile.”
Preddie finished All-American Second Team during the 2023 season for the long jump for the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association. During the 2024 season he won conference in both triple and long jump. Preddie also made it to the NCAA West first round but didn’t make it to the next round for triple and long jump. Preddie said it would be amazing to bring a championship to Texas State.
“[Winning an NCAA championship for Texas State] would be better than bringing a national championship for myself,” Preddie said. “It would be amazing. Just being able to celebrate a team victory with the guys, that would just be amazing. Seeing the effort everyone puts in at practice and saying we put everything out there we could, and now we get to celebrate with this win, it’d be amazing.”
Preddie said his mother is the motivation that fuels him and allows him to do what he does athletically.
“Honestly, I feel like my motivation is the same every year,” Preddie said. “Since I was a little kid, I just wanted to win, and I’ve had the support of my mom. She works a full-time job, I’d have basketball practice from whenever school ended till six, and she’d make a 40-minute drive to Killeen to watch me practice for two hours. Just all the support that I’ve had from her… it would just be a reward to give back to them with a win.”
Preddie has done well during his first two seasons at Texas State. During his freshman season, Preddie was the first male in Texas State history to be named an All-American and first to ever qualify for a chance to compete in the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Preddie was named All-Sun Belt First Team during the 2023 outdoor season and All-Sun Belt Second Team during the 2023 indoor season. He was the Sun Belt champion in long jump for that season as well. He had the longest jump in long jump in the entire Sun Belt Conference with a jump of 26’2.75 (7.99). He set that mark on March 28, 2024.
The next Olympic year for track and field will be in 2028 in Los Angeles. Many athletes wish to compete in the Olympics to represent their country and family. Preddie said he thinks many of the athletes on the Bobcats can make the 2028 Olympic team, including himself.
Preddie will compete during the Ted Nelson Invitational on January 25, 2025.
