Former Panther is favorite at nationals

Ten years ago, Reese Hoffa was wrapping up an incredible and surprising high school career at Lakeside.

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Incredible, because he was a two-time state champion in the shot put and was headed to Georgia on a track and field scholarship.

Surprising, because before the state meet his junior year no one knew who Reese Hoffa was. However, after he made a heave of more than 58 feet to claim top honors in all classifications, it was clear he had found his calling.

Hoffa became a four-time All-American at UGA and was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team.

He is still one of the premier shot putters in the world. As a matter of fact, he is currently the No. 1 shot putter in the world according to the International Association of Athletics Federations. So I should not have been shocked when Hoffa was featured by CNNSI.com as one of the top 19 U.S. athletes to watch at this year's national championships.

That's amazing when you consider there are hundreds of athletes competing in the nearly 50 events.

Hoffa was the runner-up at the U.S. Outdoor Championships in 2006. His 21.96-meter toss was topped by Adam Nelson's throw of 22.04.

His career best is 22.11 meters at the 2006 World Indoor Championships in Moscow, where he claimed top honors in a performance that pushed him to No. 1 in the world rankings by Track and Field News. Let's hope Hoffa can continue the pace he set in 2006.

The U.S. Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis, Ind., take place today through Sunday.