Kenadee Wayt put together a highly decorated track and field career at Wheeling Central High School.

The 2019 graduate authored a resume at the prep level that included six state championships and 12 OVAC championships.

Even with that type of success to build on, not even Wayt foresaw the type of career she’s enjoying at Mount Union forthcoming.

“Honestly, I came to Mount Union not expecting anything really,” Wayt said.

Wayt, who is on track to graduate with a degree in biology in the spring, has put together a career with the Purple Raiders that will eventually land her in the school’s athletic hall of fame. Don’t believe me?

Considering that she still has the possibility of a full indoor and three more outdoor seasons, Wayt’s trophy case is probably going to need to be made bigger. She’s already a seven-time All-American, a 13-time Ohio Athletic Conference champion, 17-time All-OAC performer and she currently owns at least a share of seven school records.

“I never thought I would be doing as well as I am,” Wayt said. “I was never truly 100% devoted to track (in high school), but I am definitely more focused and committed to it in and out of practice now. Honestly, I wish I could go back to high school, take it more seriously and put more time into it.”

Wayt’s approach has certainly paid dividends and there’s a really good chance she will continue to reap the rewards. That could actually start next weekend at the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships where she’s expecting to compete in at least four events.

Wayt qualified for nationals in the 60M, 200M, 400M and 800M and she’ll run on the 4×4 squad. She’s spent this past week trying to figure out what events in she would opt to compete. Since she ran the 800 at the conference meet last week strictly trying to break her mother — Heather (O’Shea) Wayt — school record, that seems to be the odd event out.

“I know I am not able to do them all,” Wayt said. “I am definitely running the 200 and the 4×4 and probably the 400, too. I potentially could do the 60.”

The schedule of events at nationals, which will be held on a banked track in Birmingham, simply doesn’t permit an athlete to load up on events.

Wayt’s decision on her events isn’t just aimed at her desire to join her mother as a national champion at Mount. The Purple Raiders have a talented and large delegation of females qualified, meaning they could contend for the team title.

“Anything can happen, obviously, but if we run well or like we’ve qualified, I really think we could be in contention for a top-three finish,” Wayt said.

The 200 will definitely part of Wayt’s schedule next weekend. She’s the top seed in the event and has sat atop the D-III rankings for much of the season, actually.

“Times are crazy fast this year and there’s definitely some pressure being the top seed,” Wayt said. “The big thing is I’ve only ran on a banked track once and that was this (season) at a meet at Penn State we went to just to practice basically. I think I can run really well and it’s going to take that because I know the other girls are going to run faster.”

As much as Wayt wants a national championship, she — like most track and field athletes — is focused on the performance.

“It’s not about the place, but more about the time and the quality of the race,” Wayt said.

Wayt admitted that the possibility of joining her mother as a national champion from Mount Union is a goal. It’s something she thinks would be “really cool” to accomplish.

“My mom always says that I have more All-American finishes, but I’ll never be able to move ahead of her until I win a national championship,” Wayt laughed. “I really hope to get one of those.”

Wayt stressed that she and her mom are only joking with each other about their respective success. She feels no pressure from her mom, who was a member of the Maroon Knights’ coaching staff during her daughters’ prep days.

“It’s cool to have my mom around and involved,” Wayt said. “She’s had us involved in running and track since we were old enough to walk. My (twin) sister (Ireland) and I grew up on the track. We used to run practices with the older kids. It was great to just have someone who know the sport so well and really pushed us to get involved. It’s a huge part of why I am having the success I am.”

Wayt did come up about a second or shy of breaking her mom’s aforementioned school record, but she’ll give it a shot again before she’s said and done. However, her focus is now on winning a gold.

Wayt is coming off a weekend at the OAC Championships where she won the 55, 200 and 500M and finished second in the 800. Her 200 time was 24.77 and her 500 time of 1:14.69 is third all time in NCAA Division III. All told, she scored 38 points to help the Raiders to the team title.

“I was more nervous this year than last year because I was seeded first and I had to go out and do it,” Wayt said. “I was hoping to do as well as I could and help score as many points as possible for the team.”

Her efforts, which were truly remarkable when you consider her event workload happened in a 60-minute span, garnered her NCAA Division III Track and Field National Athlete of the Week by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. It’s actually the second time she’s won it this season.

“I had no clue that award existed,” Wayt said. “No one from Mount had ever gotten it before. So, it was really cool when I won it .”

On top of the national individual honor, Wayt was part of a Purple Raider 4×200 team that set the national record indoor with a blistering time of 1:40.25.

“The 4×2 isn’t a common event for most indoor meets, so we just ran that hoping to break the (school) record and then we found out it was the national record it was really cool,” Wayt said.

After next weekend’s meet, Wayt will take a weekend off and then it’s directly into the outdoor season, which she hopes will culminate on Memorial Day weekend in Rochester, NY at the national meet once again.

Other area athletes had impressive showings in conference events last week, too.

Here is a look at some:

Casadie DiBetta, Ohio University swimming — The 2022 St. Clairsville graduate earned Second-Team All-MAC by placing fifth in the 200 breaststroke with a time of 2:13.60 and fourth in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 1:01.44. DiBetta was a three-time Ohio Division II state runnerup in the 100 breast.

Cole LaRoche, Ashland Track and Field — The former Bellaire standout, who won a state shot put title in 2018, placed fifth in his specialty in the GMAC meet last weekend with a mark of 55-3 3/4.

Liam Vinskovich, West Liberty Track and Field — The former Union Local Jet All-Ohioan won the Mountain East Conference high jump title by clearing 6-7 for the title.

Richella Speilvogel, Lake Erie College Track and Field — The former Martins Ferry standout put together an impressive indoor campaign in the weight throw. She finished fourth in the GMAC meet with a mark of 58-1 3/4, which was also a school record. She was named Lake Erie’s athlete of the week.

Emily Thompson, Marietta Track and Field — This former St. Clairsville All-Ohioan soared over 12-feet to finish second in the OAC Indoor Championships in the pole vault.

Tyler Jenkins, Rio Grande Track and Field — This former Barnesville All-Ohioan finished fifth overall in the NAIA National Meet’s 5,000-meter run qualifying heat with a time of 14:59.77 and will compete in Saturday’s national championship race.

Brylan Clouse, Lake Erie College Wrestling — This former Barnesville mat All-Ohioan qualified for the NCAA Division II national tournament at 195 pounds by placing second in the NCAA Super Regional last weekend at Tiffin.

TBT TO WHEELING

A huge and exciting announcement that The Basketball Tournament was coming to Wheeling’s WesBanco Arena in late July was made last Tuesday.

If you’ve never watched the TBT, you won’t be disappointed. This is high-level hoops of former major college players, most of whom play on alumni teams of their respective universities. Many of the players have played professionally overseas. On top of the play, the TBT is the home of the ‘Elam Ending’ which means the game ends on a made shot rather than fouling to stretch the game out and preserve time.

Hopefully droves of people make their way out this summer to watch and support this event. You won’t be disappointed with the product.

SETH’S SCOOPS

FORMER EDISON head football coach Dave Everson, who is a Buckeye North graduate, was hired this past week as the head coach at Washington Court House High School in Southeast Ohio.