MANHATTEN, Kan. Tanner Berg will tell you he hasn’t been up to much in the two years since he left Northern State two summers ago.

Just training, competing and family time, rinse and repeat.

But it’s not nothing. Far from it.

Berg, the former Northern standout and NCAA Division II national champion, will be vying for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team in the hammer throw when the Olympic Trials kick off later this month.

“It’s not a lot of stuff I’m doing,” Berg said. “But it’s important stuff.”

Since leaving Northern, Berg moved to Manhattan, Kan., and established a training routine with Kansas State throws coach Greg Watson. He also served as a volunteer coach with the Wildcat track and field program, and mixed in a rigorous competition schedule along with dad duty.

And, like many Olympic dreams, Berg’s journey has been full of ups and downs and somewhere in betweens.

Berg said he feels his training regimen has been good, but he hasn’t always seen it reflected in the results at competitions.

“I’ve been getting decent distances in training, but I go to meets it doesn’t really show up,” he said. “I might need to reinvent something or change something.”

Still, a couple weekends ago, Berg tweaked the rhythm of his throw a bit, and notched a mark of 71 meters and change. While that is a bit off his personal best of 73 meters (239.5 feet), it’s enough of a tweak to re-ignite some drive for the Watertown native.

“If I can keep that rolling the next three weeks, it’s looking pretty good placement wise at the trials,” he said.

While the ultimate goal is obviously a top three finish and a guaranteed spot on the Olympic team, Berg said he wants to remain realistic with where he’s at.

“I think realistically, my goal is placing in the top eight, making the finals on that second day,” he said. “I have faith in myself that I can do that, and in the next couple years, make that leap.”

While not every day of training is at the top of the mountain, Berg said coming home to his wife and 1-and-a-half-year-old daughter can right the ship pretty quickly.

“If I had a bad day throwing, I go home and just her little smile is enough to make it all better,” he said.

Berg also noted the last couple years of competition has afforded him the opportunity to compete against some of the same individuals he will see at the Trials.

“I got to see what they do in training and how they prepare for some of the bigger meets of the season,” he said.

The U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials are set for June 21-30 in Eugene, Ore.