NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene senior Brayden Eiland has a distinct style.

Built like a brick house, the hammer thrower also sports a Mohawk hair cut that is periodically bleached blonde.

It is a distinctive look for an athlete who likes to joke around with teammates and keep things as light as possible during meets.

"In everything I do – in lifting, throwing, school … actually, it's difficult to make school fun, but I definitely try to just bring life to the people around me," he said. "I try to have a good time with whatever I'm doing."

Eiland has certainly been enjoying his senior season.

He has thrown a personal best 176 feet even in the event and will compete at the GNAC Track and Field Championships this weekend at Western Oregon University.

"He is definitely a character," NNU throws coach Oscar Duncan said. "His hair style is indicative of the type of personality he brings to the team. He is a senior leader in that he knows how to have a competitive attitude, but doesn't allow that to overtake his ability to be in the moment and enjoy his victory lap this year."

Eiland, who is from Centralia, Wash., has been throwing the hammer since high school. The event, which involves swinging a ball attached to a chain similar to a mace from medieval times, is not a typical high school sport. In the state of Washington, athletes throw the hammer as part of club sports teams and Centralia happens to be hammer throw central in the state.

Most collegiate hammer throwers are converted from the discus or shot put, but Eiland was recruited to NNU because he already had experience in the event.

"It is a good balance of strength and technique and hammer just ended up being the one I was best at," Eiland said about why he chose the event.

While neither of his parents were athletes, Eiland and his two younger siblings are all hammer throwers. His brother, Josh, throws for Saint Martin's, though he will not be competing this weekend.

At 5-feet, 9 inches tall, Eiland is much shorter than a typical hammer thrower. He has made up for that by being in the weight room four to eight hours a week. He started lifting in earnest as a junior in high school.

"His background in strength training has created a more stable athlete," Duncan said. "When your technique is put under pressure your strength helps you recover if you are maybe in a bad position. You can recover and finish throws with power and explosiveness.

"While he is maybe not as big height wise as other throwers, he is really strong which helps level the field a bit against those other athletes."

Now Eiland hopes all of that hard work will result in a top 10 finish at the conference meet.

His highest finish at a conference meet is 10th last year in the hammer and he comes into this meet as the 11th seed.

"This season has gone really well," he said. "I've made some huge improvements to my technique and I'm in a really good spot going into the conference meet."

Crazy hair cut and all.