Kenadee Wayt has been walking about the Mount Union campus like she’s on major of the globe.

And, seriously, as it pertains to NCAA Division III sprinting, she is.

The Wheeling Central graduate enjoyed performances to don’t forget in Birmingham final weekend at the NCAA Division III National Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Wayt not only added 4 far more All-American finishes to her resume, but she became the Purple Raiders most current national champion when she won the 200 meter dash, turning in a blazing, individual-finest time of 24.31.

“I honestly nonetheless can not even think it occurred,” Wayt stated for the duration of a telephone interview. “It was just a surreal weekend.”

Along with the 200, Wayt earned All-American in the 60M dash, 400M dash and the 4×400 relay. All told, she’s now an 11-time All-American.

Mainly because of the sheer volume of races she had to endure, in particular for the duration of Friday’s qualifying rounds, Wayt admitted she was far more nervous than standard.

“Knowing that I could potentially have eight races to run weighed on me (Friday),” Wayt stated. “I was not in the finest mindset for the duration of the prelim rounds.”

That goes a lengthy way in explaining how Wayt, who came into the nationals as the major seed in the 200, ended up posting the sixth-finest time in the qualifying round.

“Because of that, Wayt competed in the 1st heat and led to some nervous moments as she watched the ‘hot’ heat unfold.

“It was the longest 5 minutes of my life,” Wayt stated of the time amongst her finish and the finish of the subsequent heat. “I knew I had (ran) a powerful time when I crossed the line and I believed it could hold up, but as I watched the subsequent heat, I didn’t know and identified myself mentally saying, ‘please slow down.’”

As the sprinters approached the line the anxiousness climbed. Then the occasions flashed on the board.

“It was honestly unbelievable,” Wayt stated. “And then my teammates and coaches began fundamentally tackling me in celebration.”

Though Wayt completely enjoyed the assistance from the Mount Union delegation, she couldn’t wait to discover somebody in the crowd who knew not only her properly, but also winning national championships for the Purple Raiders.

“The 1st factor I wanted to do was discover my mom (Heather (O’Shea) Wayt),” Wayt stated.

The two identified each and every other just a couple of minutes later and to say it was an emotional meeting would be promoting it quick.

“As quickly as we saw each and every other, we each broke down,” Wayt stated. “We have been just crying and hugging. The reality of what I achieved seriously began to set in when I saw her. It was just a seriously cool moment.”

Definitely each and every parent in Birmingham to watch his or her kid compete was proud, but for the Wayt’s it was compounded by the reality that Heather had won 3 national titles for the duration of her collegiate profession.

“It was just a seriously cool moment to share with her,” Wayt stated.

Although it reconvened later, the instant celebration was place on hold simply because Wayt had to get warmed up for the 4×4, which they completed in fifth location.

Wayt was third in the 400 and fourth in the 60 ahead of splitting a 57 leg in the 4×4.

“The 4×4 was not my finest race, but I had run a great 60M (dash) and had like 4 hours ahead of my subsequent occasion, so that seriously set me up with a constructive mindset for the rest of the day and seriously had my adrenaline going,” Wayt stated. “I had the 200 in the back of my thoughts when I ran the 400 and ran a (individual record) by half a second.”

Due to the fact returning to Alliance final Sunday, Wayt has received far more properly wishes and congratulations than she can even count. She’s turn into a celebrity on the campus of two,300 students.

“It appears like all of my classmates and professors are all congratulating me,” Wayt stated. “I am seriously grateful for all of the assistance I’ve received.”

Though she’s nonetheless basking in the title, she’s also finding back to perform simply because in the globe of collegiate track and field there’s not a lot of time to rest on one’s accomplishments.

Wayt and the rest of the Purple Raiders resumed their instruction to start preparing for the outside season, which starts later this month.

“That’s the hardest portion of indoor is going appropriate back into it and maintaining it going by way of outside,” Wayt stated. “April is the hardest portion of the year for me. You are coming off indoor and then possessing to push a reset button and begin rebuilding the volume and heavy lifting, if you will. You can get beat down in April and have to reload for conference meet and into NCAAs if you are fortunate sufficient to make it. That is usually been really hard for me.”

Though it is been a challenge, it is one particular that Wayt’s met each and every and each and every time. She’s also been about this lengthy sufficient to comprehend that indoor good results does not usually carry more than to outside.

“It’s actually two various seasons and good results indoors does not usually correlate,” Wayt presented. “Obviously, there comes some new pressures, also. But, it is a great stress. I am just going to retain functioning really hard and we’ll see exactly where it requires us.”

Mainly because of her impressive time to finish the indoor campaign, Wayt is unsure what she’ll post outdoors. She has a couple of ambitions in thoughts, even so.

“I am excited to see what time I am going to run,” Wayt stated. “I would enjoy to get into the 23s.”

Combining Wayt’s perform ethic, determination and God-provided speed, I firmly think — with the appropriate climate situations and level of competitors — she will break into the 23s and hence a further chapter to her continually developing story will be written.

NCAA WRESTLING

West Virginia University had six wrestlers earn their way to Tulsa this weekend for the NCAA National Tournament. Two of these — Peyton Hall and Anthony Carman — are Ohio Valley items.

Carman, who wrestled at John Marshall, won his pigtail match, but then dropped two consecutive bouts on Thursday and was eliminated.

Hall, meanwhile, was a returning All-American. He dropped his 1st match of the tournament, but won his 1st wrestle-back match to stay alive into Friday exactly where he was eliminated.

Many Ohio Valley items competing at the Division I level is seriously great in its personal appropriate. Getting two, on one particular group, in the national tournament is far more than impressive.

SETH’S SCOOPS

ST. CLAIRSVILLE Class of 1987 graduate Ron Balog has been hired as the new head football coach at Freedom Higher College in Western Pennsylvania. Interestingly, Freedom’s game on Sept. 29 is against Western Beaver, which is coached by Ron Busby, who is also a St. Clairsville graduate.

HARRISON CENTRAL grad Kobe Mitchell, who has played basketball for the final two seasons at the University of Akron, has entered himself into the transfer portal.

Mitchell appeared in 24 games this season right after redshirting in 2021-22. So, he would have 3 years of eligibility remaining.

VALLEY Higher College will not field baseball or softball teams this spring.

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