“It’s been my dream since I was a kid to compete at Ohio State,” he said.
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Riedinger’s other finalists included Missouri and Cincinnati, according to his Twitter page. He tweeted his decision last week and thanked his family and Northwestern coach Brian Stevenson for help with the recruiting process.
“Thank you to all those who helped me get to where I am today and I promise there will be more to come,” Riedinger posted.
Last season Riedinger was the Division II state favorite in both events. However, his career was abruptly stopped after he collapsed while warming up for his final regional throw at Piqua. Riedinger's heartbeat had gone out of sync and he was resuscitated by a defibrillator. A cardioverter defibrillator was implanted into his chest a couple days later.
Riedinger got the go-ahead last summer that he’d be able to compete collegiately. Contact sports, including football, were out.
“I was kind of skeptical, I didn’t know much,” Riedinger said. “I was relieved and happy.”
The goal is to keep improving and put himself into position to win a Big Ten championship, he said.
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Until then, Riedinger has unfinished business at Northwestern this spring. He hopes to stand atop the state podium in both events to finish his prep career for the Warriors, who’ve never had a state champion in the throwing events.
Riedinger finished third in the shot put and 10th in the discus as a sophomore. He’s aiming for a 65-foot throw in the shot put and a 180-foot toss in the discus.
“(A state title) is definitely the goal,” Riedinger said. “Anything less than that will be a letdown for me. I think I can really win it this (coming season).”
Riedinger also will participate in both basketball and indoor track this school year. He’ll wear a special pad during the basketball season to help protect his heart, he said.
He watched on the sidelines this fall as Northwestern won its first league title in football since 1967 and advanced to the state playoffs for the first time in school history.
“It was pretty hard,” Riedinger said. “Football is my favorite sport. That’s where I was trying to go after high school. They went through a lot of adversity and did something for the first time ever. I’m happy for them and proud of them for what they accomplished.”
Riedinger was honored before the Warriors’ game against Indian Lake. One of his jerseys will be hung in the recently opened Northwestern athletic complex.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” he said. “It’s going to be awesome. I’m happy they did that.”
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