2024
Todd Riech
1996 Olympian & National NCAA Javelin Champion Todd Riech! Representing the Salish & Kootenai Tribes!
Date: October 2024 Written By: Don Wetzel
Todd is arguably one of the greatest athletes this state has ever seen! He represented his school, his family, his Tribes, Montana, and the United States well as he dominated in Track & Field in the late 80s and 90s! These accolades of winning a NATIONAL TITLE in college and representing the US in the 1996 OLYMPICS started back when he was in high school. He never lost a State track and field event and took Hot Springs to two state team titles by himself…TWICE!
Todd Riech grew up on the Flathead reservation in the small town of Hot Springs. He worked harder than anyone else and had a laser focus on being the best as he broke records everywhere he went. In the 1988 State C Track Meet, Todd won the 100, 200, 400, and Javelin. Ending up with 24 points and bringing Hot Springs the State Team Title. In 1989, he added the 300 hurdles and took home another team title, scoring 30 points by himself, winning the 100, 200, 400, 300 hurdles and Javelin! His best run of that meet was 48.69 in the 400!
Todd Riech was the first Montana Athlete to win consecutive State Track Titles as a One-Man-Team!
In basketball, a 30+ point, double-figure rebound game was common as he couldn’t be stopped. He lit people up left and right and owned the boards on the daily becoming a two-time All-Stater!
Signing with Fresno State, he became a four-time All-American and broke the NCAA Javelin record as a senior with a throw of 266 feet and 9 inches to win the NCAA Title and two weeks later won the National Title at the US Outdoor Track & Fields Championships! He went on to compete in the Pan American Games in 1995, where he won the Bronze Medal in the Javelin. Next was the Olympic Trials. He crushed his previous record and threw for 268 feet and 7 inches and qualified for the 1996 Olympics! I mean, come on man! He also became a featured athlete for Coca-Cola’s Powerade sports drink during the games before that was even a thing! In Atlanta, he finished 17th in the javelin after a few missteps but set his sights on Sydney for the year 2000.
Billy Mills stepped in during those days for encouragement and guidance. Mr. Mills being an Olympic Gold Medalist and the only American to ever win the 10k, became a mentor and great friend to Todd, as they both represented our powerful Indigenous Nations and our great United States of America! Todd didn’t make the cut in the 2000 Sydney Olympics but maintained his discipline in all aspects of his life. He shifted his focus to his family and career after that, with one of his greatest moments being when he watched his son win a Gold Medal in the 1500m at the Tokyo Para-Olympics in 2021!
What an amazing ride for a true LEGEND at every level! Welcome to the Montana Indian Athletic Hall of Fame Todd Riech!