General | 1/10/2025 9:43:00 AM

CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston sports medicine staff announced the additions of Chris Huot and Becca Messick as athletic trainers. Huot and Messick join Associate Athletic Director - Sports Medicine, Performance, and Wellness Steven Krouse, Associate Head Athletic Trainer Shelby Conard, and Athletic Trainer Matt Hobson.

Huot comes to Minnesota Crookston after serving as the supervisor for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Altru in Grand Forks, N.D. He was responsible for supervision of all staff, and management of day-to-day operations in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. Podiatry, and Chiropractic clinics. He managed the athletic training outreach contracts, coverage, and staffing. Huot also provided direct patient care, and athletic training coverage. He was previously an athletic trainer for Altru from 2021-23. He assisted sports medicine and orthopedic providers with patient care, including exam history, application of durable medical equipment and casts/splits, home exercise instruction, and patient follow-up correspondence. Huot provided athletic training services, and home event coverage at Sacred Heart High School, and other regional schools, youth associations.

Prior to his employment at Altru, Huot worked as the program director for athletic training, and an assistant professor from 2012-20 at Presentation College in Aberdeen, S.D. He also served as an advisor in the Division of Health & Natural Science. Huot developed the athletic training education program at Presentation from the ground up. He led Presentation College through the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education self-study and site visit. He was responsible for all aspects of program development, budget, planning, and administration. Also during his time at Presentation, Huot served from 2012-14 as the head athletic trainer, and a staff athletic trainer. He was responsible for the administration of athletic training services to over 300 student-athletes at an NAIA institution with nine intercollegiate athletic teams. 

Huot also was an athletic trainer for the Aberdeen Wings, a junior hockey team in the North American Hockey League, from 2012-16. 

Huot was previously an athletic trainer at Minnesota State University Moorhead from 2004-12, and was also the clinical coordinator and an assistant professor during his time at MSU Moorhead. Huot was the director of athletic training services at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point from 1999-04, and also served as a lecturer. In addition, he has also been an athletic trainer at the Midwest Sports Medicine Center, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and Kalamazoo Kodiaks professional baseball club. He also taught at Missouri State University, and Kalamazoo Community College.

Huot received his Master of Arts in Physical Education, with an athletic training emphasis, from Western Michigan University. Huot received his Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Minnesota State University. He has been bestowed various awards in his career, and has been very active in organizations. Huot is a Board of Certification certified athletic trainer. He is a North Dakota Board of Certification Licensed Athletic Trainer, and a Minnesota Board of Medical Practice Licensed Athletic Trainer. Huot is certified by the American Heart Association in basic life support. He has also completed coursework toward his Doctor of Philosophy in Education through North Dakota State University. 

Messick comes to Minnesota Crookston after serving as a certified athletic trainer at Athletico Physical Therapy in Schaumburg, Ill., beginning in August 2024. She provided athletic training coverage at Schaumburg High School, and Hoffman Estates High School. Messick did direct patient care, performing evaluation and first-aid coverage, and assisted in treatment, and injury prevention. She was the certified camp athletic trainer for the Northwestern University Swimming and Diving Camp in 2024. 

She previously worked as an athletic training student for various organizations. Messick was a student athletic trainer for the U.S. Premier Hockey League in Chicago, Ill., beginning in January 2024. From March-May 2024, she was an athletic training student at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Messick was an athletic training student for the University of Florida from May-October 2023, collaborating with medical staff at appointments and procedures for volleyball student-athletes. She extended sideline and treatment coverage for track and field, cross country, baseball, and the spirit squad.

From March-May 2023, Messick worked as an athletic training student for Schaumburg High School, and was an athletic training student for Elmhurst University, working with football, soccer, wrestling, and basketball from October-December 2022. Messick was an athletic training technician for Colorado State University Sports Medicine from 2017-20, working the sidelines during football, basketball, volleyball, track and field, and soccer. 

She received her Master of Science in Athletic Training from Aurora University. Messick earned her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science-Pre-Athletic Training from Aurora University. She is Board of Certification certified. Messick is CPR/AED and First Aid American Red Cross certified. She also has the U.S. Army Stop the Bleed certificate.