UPCOMING DRILLERS: CHRIS SCANLAN

The meteoric rise of one of the most prolific young drillers in the country may have taken some by surprise, but the seeds for greatness were already there. After going back and watching old videos of competitions, one can see the factors that make a driller great growing. From an active member of the Independent Drill Facebook group, to a major player in the drill scene, this is the rise of MassDrill Representative, Chris Scanlan.

One really notices the potential in Scanlan's 2015 medal round solo for NHSDTC. While there a few fumbles, some quite obvious, the backbone of his drill is solid. The regulation is some of the best from any high school exhibition driller out there, and the exhibition itself is mostly solid. The Lonestar Championships would be the next opportunity for Chris to show out, and show out he did. Improvements were abundant and not near as many fumbles (and no stanky leg). While a placement was not in the cards, it was obvious he was on a very high trajectory.

The World Drill Qualifier Season started in March, and for Chris it began in his college town of Dayton, Ohio at the Mid-Valley Air Force Regionals. The show that was put on was superb. While the competition itself did not run as smoothly as one would wish, the routine itself gave the crowd some of the best drill of the day. The 4th place finish, that some would argue was not high enough, gave Chris the coveted qualification spot into the World Drill Championships.

With the qualifying spot in his pocket, Daytona preparation began. Many people speculated on who would be the "dark horse" of the competition, with names like Anthony Biasotti, Jertil Robinson, and Chris himself being thrown around the community. With the best performance of his career, Chris captured a top 10 finish, the highest of any rookie in 9th, and firmly established himself as one the veterans to watch out for.

To prove to himself that his WDC routine was not a fluke, Chris competed in the River City Drill Competition in Louisville, Kentucky over the summer. The outcome: a 1st place finish with a 21 point separation from the field. Needless to say, Chris Scanlan has become a force to reckon with.