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Where are they now? Former Mancos track star Reider returns to area

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Thursday, June 19, 2014 4:09 AM
Charissee Reider poses before the all-state basketball game in 1998.
Charissee Reider prepares to release the shot put while competing for Western State College.

Of the many great athletes who have graced the halls of Mancos High School, Charissee Reider stands among the best.

A three-sport star in high school who excelled at the college level, Reider was nothing short of spectacular on the volleyball court, hardwood and track.

More than just an athlete however, the one time Bluejays graduated from college, eventually moved back to the Mancos area and now raises a child of her own.

A loyal individual who has never lost track of her small-town roots, Reider continues to serve her hometown proud, all the while blazing a trail for future generations to follow.

An outstanding high school career

Between 1994 and 1998, few high school athletes dominated quite like Reider.

A three-sport athlete at Mancos High School, Reider earned multiple all conference honors in volleyball and basketball and was selected to play in the all-state basketball game her senior year.

As impressive as Reider was basketball and volleyball however, track and field was the sport in which she was spectacular, doubling as a thrower and a sprinter.

Competing in the Colorado state track meet her senior year, Reider finished first in the state in the discus event with a throw of 130 feet, 6 inches.

Reider's throw broke the Class 2A state record by more than three feet and still stands as a state record.

"They weren't prepared for it at all," said Reider. "I pretty much mentally willed my way to throw that far."

A college All-American

Thanks in large part to her impressive prep accomplishments, Reider earned track scholarship to Western State College in Gunnison, Colo. and immediately excelled.

As a freshman, Reider broke the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) discus record, went to Nationals and placed fifth.

As a junior, Reider was nearly as impressive, placing seventh at the Division II level in the hammer.

So dominant was Reider, in fact, that at one point, the two-time All-American held school records in the discus, hammer, weight and shot put.

"I did really well," said Reider, discussing her collegiate athletic career.

Post-college years

After graduating from Western State with a bachelor's degree in economics, Reider moved to Denver and worked numerous different jobs.

During that time, Reider took up the sport of boxing winning all four of her amateur bouts in impressive fashion.

While a transition into motherhood ended Reider's boxing career, the former Bluejay remained involved in athletics, coaching volleyball and track in Mancos in 2008 and 2009.

Reider then moved to Grand Junction in 2011 to coach throwers at Colorado Mesa University.

Craving a return to her hometown however, Reider eventually returned to Mancos to be closer to family.

Currently employed as an Administration Assistant at the Colorado Department of Transportation, Reider explained that the lessons learned growing up in Mancos continue to serve her well today.

"I would definitely say that (prep sports in Mancos) taught me to be dedicated and loyal," said Reider. "There were a lot of coaches that I had there amazing coaches. They shaped me to be a good person. "Without them, who knows what would have happened."

Reider currently lives in the Mancos area with her 6-year old daughter and plans to remain in the area in the years to come.

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