You want to know what makes Ryan Crouser so good?

Consider the Crouser Christmas.

Each and every Christmas Eve you can find Ryan, in his driveway (south of Gresham, Ore.), conducting a family holiday ritual: Beating last year’s mark in the shot put.

“We use an indoor shot,” Ryan explains. “There’s about 70 feet (of driveway space) to work with, and then a hedge.”

I’m thinking that hedge is in trouble this year.

Crouser, his cousin Sam, and their dads – Mitch and Dean (and uncle, Brian) – have been doing this stuff for decades.

It’s why they’re so good. It’s why every college in the country wants Ryan Crouser, quite possibly the No. 1 track and field recruit in the U.S.

Crouser said he has narrowed his college choices to two. He’ll accept a scholarship offer from either Texas or Oregon, and may make his final choice sometime during the first week of January.

Crouser said it’s not an easy call. He likes the facilities at both places. He likes the group athletes assembled at Texas. He likes the new throws coach hired at Oregon. Ultimately, it will come down to a comfort issue. Which school offers the best path from U.S. high school phenom to international stardom?

In the meantime, Crouser is spending his winter break training for indoor and outdoor track. He is getting into the Barlow High School cafeteria and putting 16-pound shots.

“They’re soft-shell shots,” Crouser explains. “They’re soft when they hit (the floor).”

Crouser has hit the conditioning and weights hard this fall and has made a full recovery from the broken bone he snapped during a practice session last fall. He’s also gotten bigger – 6 feet 7 inches and 230 pounds.

“In my upper body I’ve made some solid gains,” Crouser said.

Crouser said he is considering three or four indoor meets, including the Simplot Games in Pocatello, Idaho.

“I’d like to get a few meets indoors to keep motivating myself,” Crouser said.

Crouser has personal bests of 69-8 ¾ in the shot put and 201-6 in the discus. Expect those marks to be obliterated in 2011. He was succeeding both of those marks in practice the day he got hurt.

As far as recruiting goes, Crouser said he enjoyed all five visits he made.

“Each one had strong points,” he said. “There wasn’t one school that stood out above all the others. Going through the process and making these decisions has been tough.”