ALLENDALE, Mich. – Tanner Berg could not have scripted his final moments as a Northern State track and field athlete any better. The Watertown native and fifth-year senior, who has written and rewritten the Northern record books more times than he can count, is a national champion.

Berg claimed that title Thursday at the NCAA Division II outdoor championships in Allendale, Mich.

It was a fitting end to a journey that began almost prophetically five years ago.

“I came in as a little 18-year-old and didn’t know what I was gonna do with my life,” Berg quipped. “Mariah (Mougey) and Jon (Evenson) put a hammer in my hand and said, ‘You’re gonna be good at this.’ ” I said, ‘Well, we’ll give it a try, I guess.’ ”

Mougey, who has coached athletes to the national stage 16 times, was pretty confident in her initial assessment.

“I’ve been coaching at Northern for 18 years,” Mougey said. “When you know, you know. He didn’t believe me, of course, but a few months later, he started putting in the work and was like, maybe she was right.”

Countless hours and a few thousand spins through the ring later, Berg proved them both right.

“It’s a great way to go out,” Berg said. “My final year, as a champion.”

But that moment was nearly derailed a handful of days before Berg and the rest of the Northern State squad hosted the NSIC Championships at Swisher Field. Berg suffered a cut on his index finger that required stitches.

It was enough of an injury that Berg was forced to adjust his grip for the first few days, including during the conference meet.

It was not enough that Berg considered anything less than full speed ahead.

As it turns out, he didn’t need to anyway. After a few days of using the adjusted grip, Berg tested out his regular grip one day in practice.

“I tried throwing how I usually throw and nothing hurt and nothing happened,” he said. 

Full speed, it was.

“I wasn’t worried at all,” Berg said. “It’s healed up pretty well. But even if it hadn’t healed, I was gonna rip the stitches out to throw (this weekend). I wasn’t gonna let something as small as that slow me down.”

Berg would have won Thursday’s competition with his second-round mark, but hit an even better mark on his final throw of the day.

“My family and my wife were here,” Berg said. “It was amazing to walk into the ring on my last throw knowing I was a winner and looking past that and seeing all of them. Their smiles were just as big as mine.”