Two-time shot put Olympian Payton Otterdahl coaches throwers at Rosemount High School on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Cassidy Hettesheimer/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

On a blustery morning last month outside Rosemount High School, freshman Emma Flugum had two very important questions for Olympic shot putter Payton Otterdahl.

The first: What did he think of the chocolate muffins that went viral at the Paris Olympics?

“Totally overrated,” Otterdahl answered. “They were good. The problem is it was like chocolate overload.”

Flugum’s second question: “If you could thank one coach for pushing you to be the thrower you are today, who would it be?”

Otterdahl didn’t hesitate to share his answer with the 30 throwers gathered around him. “Without coach Conboy, I, first off, wouldn’t be in the place that I’m at right now.”

For more on the Irish discus and shot put program's success, click here to read this story on startribune.com.