Sean Williams/MDN Christopher McMahon of Bishop Ryan made it official and signed with the Minot State cross country and track and field programs on Thursday morning.

It’s an exciting time when an athlete can officially sign with the college of their choice. It takes a weight off their shoulders too, as the recruitment process and decision for where they want to spend the next years of their life can be stressful.

For Christopher McMahon of Bishop Ryan, he made his decision official on Thursday morning when he signed to run for the Minot State cross country and track and field programs, allowing him to stay close to home.

Not only will he stay close to home, but he will get the opportunity to team up with his brother, Casey McMahon, who currently runs for the same athletic programs at Minot State.

The familiarity with the programs helped during McMahon’s recruitment process and gave him a good idea of what to expect at Minot State.

“Well, my brother is running there right now so I already know the team pretty well. We trained over the summer with the team. I got in contact with the coaches and got stuff figured out,” McMahon said.

In addition to being able to run with his brother at the collegiate level, McMahon shared that the respect he has for the Beaver programs and the direction they are heading is what drew him to want to attend Minot State.

“They have a great program, and they have some new coaches over there now. They are really building up the program and I’m excited to be a part of that.”

When he gets to campus and begins the next chapter with his new team, McMahon expects to run in the 8k and 10k for cross country, as well as distance events in track. In his own words, he believes he will bring “some good speed” to the programs.

To all the athletes looking to earn the opportunity to run at the collegiate level, McMahon expressed that having a good work ethic is a necessary component to making that dream come true. “Work as hard as you can and do all the little things right,” he said.

Although his time running at Bishop Ryan has come to an end and he will begin a new chapter of his life, McMahon will always remember the fun times he shared with teammates during the summer. “Those long runs in the summer, those are the best with the boys.”