By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Wyatt Heiman's debut for the 2022-2023 indoor track season probably couldn't have gone any better, with the Washburn University standout sprinter setting a pair of school records in the recent Washburn Alumni Invitational.
Former Silver Lake multi-sport standout Wyatt Heiman set Washburn University school records in the 60 and 200-meter dashes in his 2022-2023 season debut. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Now, after some time off for the holidays, the Silver Lake product is chomping at the bit to see where he can go from here.
Heiman broke the Washburn record in the 60-meter dash in 6.88 seconds with a third-place finish and set the school record in the 200 by nearly three-10ths of a second in 21.70, also posting a third-place finish in that event.
"I was talking to coach (Cameron) Babb at the meet and I've never run a 21 this early in the year,'' Heiman said. "Usually I don't hit it until outdoor and it's harder to run a 21 indoor than outdoor just with the tight turns, so running that early on has defiitely got me really motivated to continue and see how much I can get that down to in the 21s and maybe a 20.
"That's crazy to even talk about that, but it could be a possibility.''
After his big opening meet, Heiman is now the WU record-holder for a combined three indoor and outdoor events, also holding the No. 1 spot outdoors in the 100-meter dash in 10.44 seconds while ranking second outdoors in the 200 at 21.49.
Heiman, a multiple state medalist at Silver Lake, has made his mark as one of Washburn's all-time best after participating in four different sports at Silver Lake, and credits his multi-sport background for helping him reach the level he has for the Ichabods.
"I wouldn't specialize in any sport because you never know,'' Heiman said. "I didn't know track was going to be my sport until I was a junior, a senior in high school, and I fully developed. I would suggest to anybody to play every sport. I defniitely enjoyed it.''
And now that he can concentrate on just one sport, he feels like he continues to improve.
"I think practicing every day on acceleration and track stuff definitely has got me more focused, and mentally and my race form have improved a lot since I got to Washburn,'' Heiman said.
Another thing that Heiman, in his fourth year at WU, credits for helping him is the addition of the Washburn Indoor Athletic Facility, considered one of the nation's best in NCAA Division II.
"My first year, if it was above freezing we were outside running, so it's definitely nice to have an indoor,'' he said. "That obviously is helping a ton for Washburn Athletics in every sport.''
Now the goal for Heiman, a multi-event MIAA placer, is to challenge for a conference championship and earn his first trip to the NCAA National Championships after a near-miss two seasons ago.
"My (second) year I placed top-five in both the 100 and 200 in the MIAA and I ran a 10.4 to get into the final in the 100 and I ran 21.4 to get in for the 200, so that's kind of a good benchmark goal to be around that to try to compete for MIAA championships,'' Heiman said.
"That's definitely the first goal I've got to have. There's still a sour taste in my mouth from being right on the edge of going to a national championship and missing, so that's definitely a lot of motivation. Last year I was a little injured and it was lingering, my hamstring, and I feel like this year I'm at full strength again.''
Babb credits Heiman's work in the offseason, particulary in the weight room, for his strong start this season.
"He put in a good summer,'' Babb said. "He was never a strong, strong kid when we'd lift weights and do things like that. He wasn't a powerful kid but I think he put a lot of emphasis on that this summer and got stronger.
"So when he started this semester and we started training he started right away a little bit better than what he has in the past. In training you could just see it, just another level for him there. He was running faster, running harder in workouts. He feels good right now and he feels confident right now. I think he's ready to take the next step.''
After his recent record-setting performances, Heiman agrees.
"I really trusted the training I've been doing and I thought it was coming if I could just go out and do it,'' Heiman said. "I just wanted to go out and prove it and it was good to finally see it pay off.''
