Eye on the Prize: Schutjer throws aside cancer

By Kristi Nixon

OSAGE — When it is go-time for St. Ansgar senior thrower Jex Schutjer, he puts in his ‘competitive eye.’

Schutjer lost his right eye to childhood cancer at the age of one-and-a-half and has used a regular glass eye throughout his day-to-day since, but he has a special one he specifically uses for competition, one that has the Saints’ red fleur de lis logo on it.

It doesn’t have any special powers, like a laser or anything, although he said that would be cool if it did. However, it gives him a mental edge.

“It just gets me ready to go,” Schutjer said. “I know it’s time to compete and do whatever I can to win and gets me into the mindset of competing.”

A three-sport athlete since his sophomore year, Schutjer said he has been throwing since seventh grade and started varsity discus his freshman season. This year, though, is his first opportunity to throw varsity shot put. He’s taking full advantage of it.

“I think it was good to have two good throwers out in Sage (Hulshizer) and Alex (Hansen) to go off of, to compete with them in practice,” Schutjer said. “This year has been helpful with that experience I have had with disc since my freshman year for overall in the shot put, being on JV, just getting better as I go on in the season.”

He has set a goal in mind to follow in their footsteps.

“I think it’s going off of Alex and Sage, a going to state dynasty. Alex placing seventh, which was huge for our team to get good team points,” Schutjer said. “Overall, it’s doing well at conference and districts and then hopefully doing well at state and getting high points for our team down there (in Des Moines).”

Schutjer also credits the weightlifting program St. Ansgar has where oftentimes, countless athletes have already gathered in the weight room at 6 a.m. to improve.

“It’s very helpful,” Schutjer said of the weight room. “We always have explosive workouts, and being in shot put, it’s all in your hips – is probably the most important part. Being explosive is what we work on, so that’s big to be a part of in the weight room.”

The full story, with more photos from the meet, is in the May 4 print edition of the Enterprise Journal.