Photo Provided Mount Union’s Kenadee Wayt stands on the podium at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

WHEELING — Throughout her time at the University of Mount Union, Wheeling Central Catholic alumna Kenadee Wayt has reached rarified air- not only among her peers at Mount Union or the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), but nationwide.

Wayt’s last season included bringing home two national championships, the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association Division III National Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year award, the College Sports Communicators’ Academic All-America Division III Women’s Track and Field and Cross Country Runner of the Year award, the NCAA Elite 90 award for outdoor track and field, among others.

For her career, Wayt has a school record-tying three national championships, 10 school records, 16 OAC titles, and is a 15-time All-American.

Wayt’s most recent award may be her most prestigious, yet also shows a different side of the track and field phenom.

Wayt was recognized as the 2022-23 NCAA Division-III Overall Academic All-American of the Year on Wednesday, putting a spotlight on how the Wheeling product has excelled not only on the track but also in the classroom with a 4.0 GPA.

“Academics has always come first,” Wayt said. “I grew up putting school first, and I pretty much had leeway to do anything I was interested in growing up as long as I was doing well in school and getting good grades. I have a twin sister too, and she actually starts medical school next week. We’ve always pushed each other in the classroom, school has always been a top priority.”

Wayt found out she had won the award about a week ago, from Casey Kropka, an assistant sports information director.

“He told me maybe a week ago, ‘Hey, you won the overall award for D-III.’ I was blown away, I couldn’t believe it at first,” Wayt said.

“It was a huge honor. The track award among all the track athletes in D-3, winning that one was a huge honor, so even being considered for all of D-III sports was just crazy. To be in the same picture as someone like Caitlin Clark, it’s humbling.”

As one of the most accomplished athletes in all of D-III, Wayt has garnered plenty of attention for herself and her school, a trend that continues with the national recognition.

“I love Mount Union getting all the attention from these awards,” Wayt said. “I love putting the school’s name out there and hopefully that leads to people wanting to come to Mount and give us more recruits.”

“In terms of our program, when you have an individual earn such a prestigious award, it means a lot,” Mount Union track and field coach Kevin Lucas said. “It affects other student-athletes in our programs, from a recruiting aspect it’s definitely going to help for years to come. We’re just proud of Kenadee and everything she’s accomplished throughout her career. We’re excited to see it continue too, she’s in our physicians assistant program here so she still has another indoor season and two more outdoor seasons. We’re excited about that.”

Lucas spoke of the level of dedication necessary to perform at such a high level either academically or athletically, let alone in both realms.

“It’s certainly a prestigious award, and it speaks volumes about the type of student-athlete she is,” Lucas said “She’s not only an all-star on the track, but an all-star in the classroom too.”

“Certainly at the division three level, it is student-athletes, and the student part comes first. She puts her studies first. She knows that her career and her time in the classroom is important, and that’s something that’s really awesome. Sometimes you could get wrapped up in all the athletic accomplishments but when she’s in her environment in the academic world she’s still giving it her all.”

Being named NCAA D-III Overall Academic All-American also lended some validation to the time and effort that Wayt applied to becoming her best in the two pillars of sports and studies.

“I just want to show people that it’s possible to do academics and athletics and excel in them,” Wayt said. “You really just have to devote your time and know when it’s ok to let loose and have fun and when you have to buckle down and hit the books.”

“She understands the sacrifice that it takes to be a great athlete,” Lucas said. “I think that’s something that’s missed sometimes. You see all these accolades and awards, and something that gets overlooked is what was sacrificed for that, strict diet, strict sleep schedule, making sure you take care of your body, there are a lot of things that you cannot do without to be the best you can be.”

Coming from Wheeling Central Catholic, where Wayt and the Marron Knights won a state championship in 2017, there was yet another jump the burgeoning track star wanted to make when it came to her abilities.

“I ran track in high school, and I was a state champion, but the work ethic wasn’t there as much,” Wayt said. “Coming to college, I told myself ‘Okay, if I’m going to run in college I’m going to really commit to this and give 100% effort.’ I started off doing okay, and it was the end of my sophomore year into my junior year that things really started to come together. I really took the training seriously all year and now I’m where I’m at.”

“Kenadee completely immersed herself in the training,” Eric Belancic, Wayt’s coach at Wheeling Central, said. “She has dedicated her entire athletic life to becoming the best. She’s working all year round, whether it be the weight room, drills, conditioning, she has sacrificed and dedicated herself to be the best, and she has become the best. Her resume speaks for herself, she’s going to go down as one of the greatest athletes in the history of division three track and field in the country- not just at Mount Union, in the country.”

Wayt’s work ethic will continue to be a necessity for the Maroon Knight-turned-Purple Raider, who will look to maintain a high standard in both her athletic and academic settings. Wayt is currently in grad school to be a physicians assistant, and this upcoming season wants to break the school record in the 800 meter that her mother- also a national champion at Mount Union- set in the 90’s.

“She’s done what she’s done in the classroom while maintaining the grades that she has to be recognized as one of the top GPA performers in the country,” Belancic said. “With a hard major- she’s in grad school as we speak, and performing at an incredible level in the classroom and on the track.”

“She sets the bar,” Lucas said. “And she sets it high.”