About halfway through his six discus attempts on Tuesday, at the Pilcher/Western Montana Top 10 track and field meet, Glacier’s Aiden Krause started verbally adding something extra.

“They always say a grunt adds about five feet,” Krause said later that day.

Who’s “they?”.

“Just they,” he said, smiling. “Just people in general.”

If that’s the case, then Krause is, “he,” at least where Montana discus throwers are concerned. The State AA champion with a heave of 174 feet, 10 inches, he threw 192-6 in his third meet this season, a dual in Butte on April 12. 

Given that his previous best was 181-7, it’s fair to wonder if someone bigger than North Dakota State, where Krause is headed for college, might come calling. 

Krause would remind you that he signed with the “Bizon” on Nov. 9, so that’s a moot point. And that there are good reasons that he signed. 

At one point last outdoor season NDSU was ranked No. 2 in the NCAA for the shot put, No. 6 in the hammer throw and No. 16 in the discus. 

There are 312 schools competing in Division I track and field.

“I’d just kind of heard of the program, and heard it was really good,” said Krause, who chose the Bison over the Montana Grizzlies. “It’s a bigger, good throws program, and not (far) from home. I went on a visit and really liked the culture around there, and thought the people were really nice.”

Fargo, North Dakota is 961 miles from Kalispell, which seems like a lot. Better to look at it in terms of state lines: Just one. 

At any rate the Green and Gold are getting a good one: Krause has broken 190 feet at two meets this spring, leaving him tantalizingly close to the all-time state record of 193-7, set in 1982 by Dan Tabish of Missoula Hellgate.

“That’d be the goal,” he said.

He does it despite — judging by the group of throwers he beat Tuesday — being smaller in stature. He is 220 pounds, but it’s packed onto a 6-foot frame.

“I’ve just got long arms for my height,” he noted. But also: “Just working on technique, and part of it is I got a lot stronger than last spring. I’ve probably gained 10, 15 pounds.”

Krause originally thought about studying physical therapy, but is now leaning toward psychology and occupational therapy. “It’s a little different, as a way to help people,” he said. “I think it’s pretty cool.”

History is perhaps one spin away — I can’t define how discus throwers do it, but when it happens, the really big throw can look like it has two stages. 

He reportedly threw 199 feet warming up for the Crosstown meet on April 15, and if he did that at the State AA meet in Great Falls, then the record is broken. 

One good spin. With a grunt, just to make sure. 

Fritz Neighbor can be reached at 406-758-4463 or at [email protected].