Hefty repeats as mile champion, Whippets medal in four state events

LA CROSSE — After a lengthy absence, the smile returned to Whitewater junior Jack Hefty’s face.

“It’s been a minute,” Hefty said.

It’s been an ordeal.

Hefty captured his first Division 2 state title in the boys 1,600 meter run a year ago at the WIAA State Track and Field Championships, then joyfully spoke with various media outlets about winning the race.

But he also opened up about the mental, physical and emotional strains that occurred along the way.

The path to a repeat championship followed a similar script.

“I’ve been dealing with patellar tendonitis (in my knee) since the start of the season,” Hefty said. “Then it went down to almost nothing and then regionals, sectionals and state, it pops back up.

“I’ve also had this whole throw up thing, after races before races, day of races, not on day of races ... It’s just been going on for three weeks. I don’t know.”

Despite being unable to compete in his signature event for the first month of this season, Hefty ended this campaign the same way he did a year ago — as the state mile champion.

Hefty fought off a stiff challenge from Lakeland senior Owen Clark down the final straightaway to win this year’s mile in a personal best time of 4 minutes, 13 seconds on Saturday at UW-La Crosse’s Veterans Memorial Field Complex.

Across all divisions, Hefty’s time was the fourth fastest and earned him all state honors in this event. The top six individuals in this event earn this honor.

Hefty’s title defense got off to a rocky start.

He got tripped up during a physical start, but regained his footing and settled into the back third of the pack.

He moved up from 11th placed after the first lap to sixth after two laps. Hefty climbed into fourth place entering the bell lap.

From there, Hefty moved on to the shoulder of Clark and Lakeside Lutheran senior Cameron Weiland and with 300 to go, it was down to Hefty and Clark for the money.

Hefty’s formula of sticking to the leaders and then burying them on the final lap went smoothly a year ago, with no one challenging him down the home stretch.

This time, he flailed his arms in panic survival mode and somehow kept a dangerous long strider a step behind to the finish line by .35 of a second.

“He had me scared,” Hefty said. “That final 70, I’m thinking, ‘I don’t know if I am going to get him.’”

Last year, the sun was shining. This time, the skies were overcast and it was drizzling.

“It’s wet, my feet are heavy, new people ... Wow,” Hefty said.

“Off the rip, I tripped a little at the start. That was a little stressful for me, but I always know I like to start in the back. I didn’t feel so smooth as I did last year, but I am proud of where we ended up. I ran a PR at state. What more can you ask?”

Hefty wasn’t the only Whippet smiling on this day.

Whitewater’s boys competed in four events and earned medals in all of them to finish a respectable eighth with 29 points.

Junior Traysen Thomason began a successful Saturday for the Whippets by placing fourth in the 100 meter dash in 11.14 seconds.

“Traysen lived up to the phrase ‘shot out of the blocks’ as he easily had the best, and most explosive, start in the field,” Whitewater assistant track and field coach Chad Carstens said.

“Traysen then began to put together his most complete race of the season over 100 meters. His drive phase was smooth and he battled as the finish line neared. His ability to stay loose through the finish line, rather than tightening up and forcing it, allowed him to be faster than Eli Kerner from Northland Pines as both athletes finished in 11.14 and the officials needed to go the 1000th of a second to break the tie.”

Thomason was faster, 11.134 to 11.139, and earned himself a spot on the podium for the first time in his career. He finished his season as the fourth fastest 100 meter sprinter in school history with his season best time of 10.93 at the Big Foot sectional. He is the highest finisher in this event for the Whippets since Matt Gordy placed in 2006.

Not bad for a sprinter making his first state appearance.

“I came up just short last year,” Thomason said.

“It’s really fun. I didn’t think I was going to be this fast this year. I didn’t think I was going to take fourth at state. I had no idea I would get this far.

“The whole week leading up to state, I didn’t even think of state. I wasn’t thinking about state. The day before (state), it started to get to me. Right before my race, my nerves were going, the adrenalin hit, all the pain in my legs was gone and I was just locked in. I think it’s really cool here, a really fun experience.”

Senior Ethan Dugan also closed out his career with an individual sprint medal, placing second in the 400 meter dash in 48.61. Osceola senior Addison Uddin won the race in 47.73.

“As the second fastest seed in the final, Ethan was lined up with Addison to his (left) inside lane and would not see him due to the stagger, but rather Addison had the advantage to see him to his right, on the outside lane, Carstens said.

“As the race unfolded. Ethan got out quickly trying to distance himself from Addison. Ethan did just that and later said he felt Addison coming up on his left and he continued to press on the accelerator.

“Ethan continued to fly down the backstretch and final curve before going into overdrive to put all he had left in the final 100 meters. Ethan charged across the finish line to secure a silver medal and ran a lifetime best, and lowered his school record.”

Dugan’s time of 48.61 was the fifth fastest across all divisions and like Hefty, earned all-state recognition. He is the program’s highest finisher since Matt Ninneman was second in 1999.

“This is my third time running here,” Dugan said. “I took 12th my sophomore year. I was fourth in my sectional and just lucky to go. Last year was better. I was second in my sectional and got eighth.

“I think it’s just important to train at top speed. When you start to run the 400, you can extend that with a higher top speed, you can feel more relaxed. Of course there are nerves, but that helps you out. You can use that.

“I (was familiar) with a few of (the other sprinters). All three years they have been here, I have been here, so it’s good to see all of us stay together. It’s all about focusing on your race. Having the Osceola kid there to pull you along helps.”

The 1,600 meter relay team of Dugan, senior Quincy Boudreau, Hefty and senior Nate Holden closed out the meet with a third place finish in 3:23.52.

“Dugan started very well and made up the stagger on the field early on,” Carstens said. “He stormed down the front stretch splitting a 49.4 second relay leg as he handed off to Quincy with the lead.”

After anchoring this event for much of the season, Dugan was moved into the leadoff spot recently.

“That’s what we went with and it was good,” Dugan said. “I think the relay medal is what I enjoy more, especially as an individual. Just to be able to do it with your best friends is something special.”

Boudreau took the stick around the track uncontested as the team held the lead. He ran a lifetime best of 51.6 as he handed off to Hefty.

“It felt fine,” Boudreau said. “I just try to hold the lead that Ethan gives us the last few days. I went out harder than I usually do and I think it helped. We PR’d as a group.

“It’s awesome (finishing my career like this). It’s my first time running here. It’s an experience. My nerves were not too bad.”

Hefty took off around the first curve trying to run away from Lakeside Lutheran senior Karsten Grundahl, who had just won the 800 meter title.

Grundahl overtook Hefty down the final straightaway, but Hefty still got the baton to Holden with the relay in second place. He ran a lifetime best, a 50.93 fully automatic timed split.

“He’s strong,” Hefty said of Grundahl. “Coming down that final 100, even when he passed me, that’s normally when guys fall apart. I just tried to keep my head on Nate.

“It’s been great. I am so happy we threw together this relay. Last year, we had a shot at qualifying and we didn’t make it. We came back this year, ecstatic. It’s fun.”

Holden was passed by Freedom’s anchor, but ran the final leg in a lifetime best time, a 51.29 second fully automatic split.

“I feel like running a relay with your best friends, you can’t find something better,” Holden said. “It’s one of a kind. I’ve ran with these guys all four year, to qualify for state meet with them is a dream come true and to place at state is something else.

Their time of 3:23.52 was just .10 seconds off the school record, but the third best time in school history. This is the highest relay finish in the 4x400 since 2008 when the relay team of Aaron Holschbach, Sam Moffatt, Alex Adkinson, and Grant Bughman won the state title.

“It’s definitely a lot of work,” Holden said. “There will be some practice where you are just dead, but you’ve really got to put in the work. It shows.”