Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Montana State’s Chris Bianchini’s Goals On and Off Track Sky High
2/14/2019 5:20:00 PM | Men's Track and Field
Chris Bianchini looks to play big role in second year in Bobcat track and field program as he continues to strive off the track
A week before the Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships are held in Worthington Arena, Chris Bianchini showed up to practice wearing a NASA sweatshirt. The moment was a coincidence, but, it represented the sophomore's lofty goals.
Bianchini has been accustomed to lofty goals since he was young. Both of his parents were teachers. His father David, a principal and his mother Traci, an English teacher. His older sister Katie earned great grades while running for Lipscomb University. Chris always had motivation in the classroom.
"My parents are educators, my mom's an English teacher, my dad's a principal and my sister got a 4.0," Bianchini said. "Going through school, I was pretty much expected to do the same thing. I didn't really think about it much in high school, it was the standard my parents expected. Now that I'm more on my own, there's not as many reasons to reach a 4.0, other than trying to reach my goals."
Bianchini's studying mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering at Montana State. He aims to be an astronaut one day, a dream that motivates him through his academic career.
Montana State's engineering school, the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering, is a place Bianchini can explore his potential future. The college is home to an acclaimed engineering program with eight accreditations, including mechanical engineering. The aerospace engineering minor offered gives prospective students a variety of courses relevant to aerospace.
"My young-self really wanted to be an astronaut," Bianchini said. "My parents kind of talked me out of it through high school because, because that's kind of out there. They wanted me to get more realistic. I started looking at mechanical engineering. My senior year I had a calculus teacher who asked, 'have you ever wanted to be an astronaut?' Yeah, I had. He really encouraged me to push towards that goal. That's what I'm trying to do, mechanical engineering and aerospace is a pretty good place to start."
In high school, Bianchini was a 4.0 student. In addition to looking at engineering schools, Bianchini wanted to continue his athletic career. At Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish, Wash., Bianchini lettered four times in cross-country and three times in track and field. His high school career culminated in a seventh-place finish in the 800-meter finals at the Washington 3A State Championship meet.
Montana State offered Bianchini an opportunity to run and pursue his academic dreams. His freshman year, Bianchini ran cross-country and track for the Bobcats. He stepped into a large role for both the indoor and outdoor track teams.
He ran a 1 minute, 51.23 second, 800m indoor race, eight fastest in program history. Outdoors, he set the tenth fastest time in program history for the 800m, running a time of 1:51.91. His seasons ended with a fourth-place finish in the 800m at the Big Sky indoor meet and seventh-place showing at the conference outdoor meet.
"I've been racing at a pretty high level for a while but, definitely felt like a fish out of water a little bit last year," Bianchini said. "It's such a difference in competition going from high school to college. I'm definitely more comfortable with what's going to happen and how the races are going to end up."
This season, Bianchini has settled into his role on the team. The Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships return to Worthington Arena on Thursday, Feb. 21, and run through Feb. 23. Bianchini has primarily competed in the 800m and 4x400 relay this season.
He ran his best races of the season in MSU's last meet, the second MSU Dual Invitational. He finished in second-place in the 800m with a time of 1:54.81. The relay team also took second finishing in 3:19.09.
First-year Director of Track and Field Lyle Weese stresses keeping a rhythm as the Bobcats prepare for the championships.
"We pull back a little bit (in practice)," Bianchini said. "Last year a lot more so than this year. Lyle's philosophy is to keep things consistent, so you can find a rhythm, versus taking time off or going easy to give yourself more energy. We just try and keep things consistent for the most part, try and get a little more sleep."
Bianchini is making the most of his time in Bozeman. He earned a place on the Big Sky Winter and Spring All-Academic teams last year and has set himself up for success next week. Bianchini's philosophy for the Big Sky meet is to not worry about times and instead stick to his and his training partners – Samuel Bloom and Cameron Carroll's – preseason goals.
"I'm trying not to think about times or (personal records), Bianchini said. "I just want to go in and score some points for a team title. Pretty much since the beginning of the year, Cam and Sam, my training partners and I have had a motto of scoring 34 points at conference. That'd be a one, two, three finish in the 800 and then winning the (distance medley relay). I'm just trying to go out and compete mainly. Hopefully the times will fall in place."
MSU has its final regular season meet in Worthington Arena Friday. The Bobcats host the Big Sky Tuner as field events start at 4 p.m. and track events start at 5 p.m.
Bianchini has been accustomed to lofty goals since he was young. Both of his parents were teachers. His father David, a principal and his mother Traci, an English teacher. His older sister Katie earned great grades while running for Lipscomb University. Chris always had motivation in the classroom.
"My parents are educators, my mom's an English teacher, my dad's a principal and my sister got a 4.0," Bianchini said. "Going through school, I was pretty much expected to do the same thing. I didn't really think about it much in high school, it was the standard my parents expected. Now that I'm more on my own, there's not as many reasons to reach a 4.0, other than trying to reach my goals."
Bianchini's studying mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering at Montana State. He aims to be an astronaut one day, a dream that motivates him through his academic career.
Montana State's engineering school, the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering, is a place Bianchini can explore his potential future. The college is home to an acclaimed engineering program with eight accreditations, including mechanical engineering. The aerospace engineering minor offered gives prospective students a variety of courses relevant to aerospace.
"My young-self really wanted to be an astronaut," Bianchini said. "My parents kind of talked me out of it through high school because, because that's kind of out there. They wanted me to get more realistic. I started looking at mechanical engineering. My senior year I had a calculus teacher who asked, 'have you ever wanted to be an astronaut?' Yeah, I had. He really encouraged me to push towards that goal. That's what I'm trying to do, mechanical engineering and aerospace is a pretty good place to start."
In high school, Bianchini was a 4.0 student. In addition to looking at engineering schools, Bianchini wanted to continue his athletic career. At Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish, Wash., Bianchini lettered four times in cross-country and three times in track and field. His high school career culminated in a seventh-place finish in the 800-meter finals at the Washington 3A State Championship meet.
Montana State offered Bianchini an opportunity to run and pursue his academic dreams. His freshman year, Bianchini ran cross-country and track for the Bobcats. He stepped into a large role for both the indoor and outdoor track teams.
He ran a 1 minute, 51.23 second, 800m indoor race, eight fastest in program history. Outdoors, he set the tenth fastest time in program history for the 800m, running a time of 1:51.91. His seasons ended with a fourth-place finish in the 800m at the Big Sky indoor meet and seventh-place showing at the conference outdoor meet.
"I've been racing at a pretty high level for a while but, definitely felt like a fish out of water a little bit last year," Bianchini said. "It's such a difference in competition going from high school to college. I'm definitely more comfortable with what's going to happen and how the races are going to end up."
This season, Bianchini has settled into his role on the team. The Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships return to Worthington Arena on Thursday, Feb. 21, and run through Feb. 23. Bianchini has primarily competed in the 800m and 4x400 relay this season.
He ran his best races of the season in MSU's last meet, the second MSU Dual Invitational. He finished in second-place in the 800m with a time of 1:54.81. The relay team also took second finishing in 3:19.09.
First-year Director of Track and Field Lyle Weese stresses keeping a rhythm as the Bobcats prepare for the championships.
"We pull back a little bit (in practice)," Bianchini said. "Last year a lot more so than this year. Lyle's philosophy is to keep things consistent, so you can find a rhythm, versus taking time off or going easy to give yourself more energy. We just try and keep things consistent for the most part, try and get a little more sleep."
Bianchini is making the most of his time in Bozeman. He earned a place on the Big Sky Winter and Spring All-Academic teams last year and has set himself up for success next week. Bianchini's philosophy for the Big Sky meet is to not worry about times and instead stick to his and his training partners – Samuel Bloom and Cameron Carroll's – preseason goals.
"I'm trying not to think about times or (personal records), Bianchini said. "I just want to go in and score some points for a team title. Pretty much since the beginning of the year, Cam and Sam, my training partners and I have had a motto of scoring 34 points at conference. That'd be a one, two, three finish in the 800 and then winning the (distance medley relay). I'm just trying to go out and compete mainly. Hopefully the times will fall in place."
MSU has its final regular season meet in Worthington Arena Friday. The Bobcats host the Big Sky Tuner as field events start at 4 p.m. and track events start at 5 p.m.
Players Mentioned
Distance
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Mid-Distance
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Distance
/ Men's Track and FieldFriday, February 11
Monday, February 18
Tuesday, February 12
Tuesday, February 05
