University of Minnesota Athletics
10 Questions for Decathlete Travis Brandstatter
6/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
Gophersports.com sat down with Travis before he departed for the NCAA’s, to get his thoughts on a number of topics.
What do you think was the greatest moment of your career?
Last year’s NCAA performance when I placed fourth. I went from being average to a very good athlete. I finally put everything together at my first national meet. I got a feel for what’s it’s like to string a number of good performances together. It was my first time at nationals and I wasn’t really expected to bring anything to the table. But it was great to then to go out and place fourth with no one knowing who I was.
Do you think your toughest competition comes from you or the other competitors?
It’s a bit of both, but I guess I would say the majority of my competition is with me. I’ve developed more mentally so I don’t take things how I used to. I used to let a bad event performance really drag me down. I might still get pretty ticked off afterward, but now I either take that anger to enhance my next performance or separate it so that it won’t affect my next event negatively.
Do you look at the standings and know what mark you need in the next event or do you simply shoot for a PR in every event?
It kind of differs because sometimes I’ll do it one way and sometimes the other. I think it turns out the best when you don’t keep track of point totals because if you’re keeping tabs on how you’re doing in your events compared to other people, I think you’re too statistically oriented. When I’ve had my best performances I don’t focus on the point totals or anybody else’s performance. That way I don’t think I’ve had the extra burden of needing to get a specific mark.
Which of the ten events do you consider the most difficult?
Shot put. That event is really inconsistent for me and I can’t put my finger on it. An athlete’s size probably doesn’t matter a lot in the shot put. It’s more about form and technique, but because I’m a little smaller than most competitors in the decathlon it’s difficult for me to push that 16-pound ball out there. I really hate doing it, but I take it with a grain of salt and keep focusing on my technique everyday. The better technique I have, the less effort it’s going to take to move the shot put.
Do you have any superstitions or routines you follow before or during the competition?
I don’t really have any superstitions, but every night before a competition I will go through every event in my head while lying in bed. I’ll picture myself doing everything properly in all ten events. Even though I’m not big on superstitions, it seems like when I do that, it helps. Imagining the events is probably as good of a workout before a competition as going through them physically.
How do you think your coaches would describe you?
That’s a tough question and I probably don’t want to know what their answer would be. Coach Lundin would probably say, “In his own world.” That’s because I’m usually on my own time schedule or what coach calls “Travis Time.” For example, if a workout is supposed to start at 1:30, I might be there at 1:30, or sometimes maybe 1:45 or even 2:00. It’s probably my downfall.
What would be your dream job?
I’ve always wanted to be a video game tester and get paid for playing games.
If you could trade places with one person for a day who would that be?
Believe it or not, Marilyn Manson because he’s truly an individual and doesn’t let people change who he is. He stands up to society’s attempts to shape him to how they see fit. It hasn’t kept him from being an individual. Even though Marilyn Manson is viewed by many as extremely weird, he actually is a very intelligent person. Plus he’s a rock star who I think makes really good music. I play guitar and have always wanted to be in a heavy metal band. So that’s another reason.
What’s served at your favorite meal?
Since I’m a big sugar freak, I have to have cookies and ice cream. Pizza is one of my favorites too. Meat-lovers pizza is great, but as long as it has a ton of cheese and a ton of meat on it, I’m set. I’m not really into vegetables.
What’s one thing that you’re most proud of doing?
Probably the opportunity I’ve had to do some traveling. I know a lot of people haven’t had that opportunity and from what I’ve heard and witnessed many people want to travel but they don’t think they have the time or money. I’ve been to Europe a number of times, traveling to France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. I’ve taken a swim in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Granted I’ve gone into some debt doing that, but to me it’s been priceless. Senior Travis Brandstatter will compete in the decathlon at the NCAA Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. After claiming the 2004 Big Ten decathlon crown, Brandstatter finished fourth at last year’s national meet, earning All-American honors and setting a school-record point total. Last month, Brandstatter successfully defended his Big Ten title and is looking to close out his collegiate career with another All-American certificate. A native of Ladysmith, Wis., Brandstatter recently graduated with an undergraduate degree in German.
Gophersports.com sat down with Travis before he departed for the NCAA’s, to get his thoughts on a number of topics.
What do you think was the greatest moment of your career?
Last year’s NCAA performance when I placed fourth. I went from being average to a very good athlete. I finally put everything together at my first national meet. I got a feel for what’s it’s like to string a number of good performances together. It was my first time at nationals and I wasn’t really expected to bring anything to the table. But it was great to then to go out and place fourth with no one knowing who I was.
Do you think your toughest competition comes from you or the other competitors?
It’s a bit of both, but I guess I would say the majority of my competition is with me. I’ve developed more mentally so I don’t take things how I used to. I used to let a bad event performance really drag me down. I might still get pretty ticked off afterward, but now I either take that anger to enhance my next performance or separate it so that it won’t affect my next event negatively.
Do you look at the standings and know what mark you need in the next event or do you simply shoot for a PR in every event?
It kind of differs because sometimes I’ll do it one way and sometimes the other. I think it turns out the best when you don’t keep track of point totals because if you’re keeping tabs on how you’re doing in your events compared to other people, I think you’re too statistically oriented. When I’ve had my best performances I don’t focus on the point totals or anybody else’s performance. That way I don’t think I’ve had the extra burden of needing to get a specific mark.
Which of the ten events do you consider the most difficult?
Shot put. That event is really inconsistent for me and I can’t put my finger on it. An athlete’s size probably doesn’t matter a lot in the shot put. It’s more about form and technique, but because I’m a little smaller than most competitors in the decathlon it’s difficult for me to push that 16-pound ball out there. I really hate doing it, but I take it with a grain of salt and keep focusing on my technique everyday. The better technique I have, the less effort it’s going to take to move the shot put.
Do you have any superstitions or routines you follow before or during the competition?
I don’t really have any superstitions, but every night before a competition I will go through every event in my head while lying in bed. I’ll picture myself doing everything properly in all ten events. Even though I’m not big on superstitions, it seems like when I do that, it helps. Imagining the events is probably as good of a workout before a competition as going through them physically.
How do you think your coaches would describe you?
That’s a tough question and I probably don’t want to know what their answer would be. Coach Lundin would probably say, “In his own world.” That’s because I’m usually on my own time schedule or what coach calls “Travis Time.” For example, if a workout is supposed to start at 1:30, I might be there at 1:30, or sometimes maybe 1:45 or even 2:00. It’s probably my downfall.
What would be your dream job?
I’ve always wanted to be a video game tester and get paid for playing games.
If you could trade places with one person for a day who would that be?
Believe it or not, Marilyn Manson because he’s truly an individual and doesn’t let people change who he is. He stands up to society’s attempts to shape him to how they see fit. It hasn’t kept him from being an individual. Even though Marilyn Manson is viewed by many as extremely weird, he actually is a very intelligent person. Plus he’s a rock star who I think makes really good music. I play guitar and have always wanted to be in a heavy metal band. So that’s another reason.
What’s served at your favorite meal?
Since I’m a big sugar freak, I have to have cookies and ice cream. Pizza is one of my favorites too. Meat-lovers pizza is great, but as long as it has a ton of cheese and a ton of meat on it, I’m set. I’m not really into vegetables.
What’s one thing that you’re most proud of doing?
Probably the opportunity I’ve had to do some traveling. I know a lot of people haven’t had that opportunity and from what I’ve heard and witnessed many people want to travel but they don’t think they have the time or money. I’ve been to Europe a number of times, traveling to France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. I’ve taken a swim in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Granted I’ve gone into some debt doing that, but to me it’s been priceless.
