Get To Know Men's Basketball Junior Chris Shkil
If you walk into the Cost Varsity Weight Room on any given night, you might hear someone yelling, "two patties!" That someone is Carnegie Mellon University men's basketball junior center Chris Shkil and those "two patties" are what he calls the 45 pound plates that he has on each side of his barbell. Shkil started lifting weights as a high schooler because he and his friends loved the competitive aspect of it. It didn't hurt that Chris saw results that translated onto the court. "I got into lifting because I liked the way it made me look but even more so because I felt like I was a better basketball player for it," Chris says, "I'm a focused person, and I like to go after my goals."
Chris's go-getter attitude has brought him more than just strength in body, however. As a mechanical engineering major, Chris had an internship with Fiat Chrysler Automobile as a supplier quality engineer this past summer. More specifically, he directly worked in the department that makes sure that the frame of the car is in spec. Chris says, "It was fun to see how thrilling the automotive industry is and see everything that actually goes into building a car." He enjoyed being in assembly plants where he could help out with future builds and work out the issues with current ones. He also helped resolve an issue with a supplier that was about to cause a several million dollar yard hold. His energetic demeanor and thorough work ethic led him to tangible responsibility at the company. However, he says that the most exhilarating aspect of working at Fiat Chrysler was taking cars onto a four-mile test track where he drove over a hundred miles per hour several times. He promises that safety was his top priority!
Chris has taken full advantage of his time in Pittsburgh. "I love to explore Pittsburgh with my teammates," he says, "We try new restaurants around town, go to the movies, and go to sporting events." To some extent though, he's a natural homebody. Chris is a renowned grill-master, and if you see members of the CMU men's basketball team enjoying Pittsburgh's nice weather, odds are Chris isn't far off cooking hotdogs, hamburgers, and chicken breasts.
Chris aims to take some of the lessons he's learned in the weight room and pair them with lessons from the automobile factory to help the CMU men's basketball team succeed. "I'm really excited about this upcoming season because I feel like we have a lot to build on from last year. We really figured things out during the second half of the UAA schedule last season," he says, "There isn't a team on our schedule this year who we can't beat." Chris can use his physical strength and his responsible attitude to help lead the Tartans. Last year he averaged 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, but he paced the team in the second half of its UAA schedule as he scored 17 points against both Washington University and Emory University.
The 6'9" engineer isn't as tough as he seems. He has a soft spot for his teammates and counts them as his closest friends. He says, "I love how close my team is. Basketball has taught me a lot of lessons through the years, but more than anything it has allowed me to meet some of the greatest people I've ever met. CMU athletics is one big, supportive family, and I love how tight-knit our community is."
Support the Tartan men's basketball family starting on November 17 as they open their season at Geneva College and come see Chris utilize his strength in the Tartans' first home game against Bethany College on November 21.