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Thursday, May 1, 2008
Born to Run
Central Indiana, IN
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By: Brian Moore, VYPE
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Photo(s) By: Jeff Solenberg
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Youth
Randy and Shannon Wise would stand in the backyard of their home in Morgantown, Ind., and watch in amazement as their 2-year-old daughter, Katie, ran around in circles for hours on end.
“She would run around and say in this little voice, ‘Look, mom and dad, I run like the wind,’” Randy says.
Nearly a dozen years later, Katie Wise still runs like the wind.
Now an eighth grader at Indian Creek Middle School, Wise holds school records in the 100-meter dash, the 200 and the 400. In a short three-week span last year, Wise ran the 100 in 12.12 seconds, the 200 in 26.73 and 400 in 1 minute, 3.9 seconds – records that, frankly, she already owned to begin with.
It has been fairly obvious to ICMS track coach Gary Campbell from the moment he met Wise that she was unique – actually, maybe even before that.
“I get this e-mail from Katie’s mom, before I ever even knew who she was, and Shannon asks for all the high school track records because her fourth grade daughter is eventually going to break them,” says Campbell, who’s been coaching at Indian Creek for the better part of 34 years. “And I thought, we’re either that arrogant, or we’re that good.”
Campbell soon found out it was the latter.
Randy Wise remembers watching Campbell run from the infield to the finish line at a school Fun Run.
“Coach Campbell caught up with Katie and said, ‘Hey, you in the red, what’s your name?’ And after she told him, he said, ‘I’ll see you in the spring,’” he says.
Campbell vividly recalls the moment as well. “She was just so far ahead of everyone else, I couldn’t believe it – she was in fourth grade. Katie runs effortlessly, whereas most have to labor to do it – it comes with ease to her. It’s a natural talent.”
The following spring, Campbell did see Wise on the track and began coaching her, as Indian Creek allows fifth graders to participate in middle school track events. Wise finished third in the 100 at the Mid-Hoosier Conference Meet and from that point on, Campbell knew that he had something special on his team, while Katie saw how talented she was.
“I knew I was fast, but I never thought I would be as fast as I am today,” says Wise, who believes she inherited her speed and ability from her athletic parents. Shannon was a star track and cross country runner at Martinsville High School, where she held the record in the 800 for several years. And as a sophomore, Randy was a contributor on Indian Creek’s 1983 boys basketball regional championship team. He also ran track but calls himself an average sprinter.
His daughter is anything but average. In addition to her sprint duties, Katie also long jumps for the Braves and says the school record in that event is one of her goals this season.
“I was only two inches off of that [last season],” Katie says.
Records are meant to be broken, and Katie Wise seems intent on being the one to break them at Indian Creek. She would already own the Indian Creek High School record for the 200 and would have tied the 100, but she has to wait until next year, when she can officially, you know, run in a high school meet.
Once Wise does reach high school, she’ll most certainly be ready. Noting that a lot of what Wise could accomplish at the high school level will depend on the weather conditions, Campbell says that records are “attainable” for Katie.
“If you look at some of the 100 times Katie has, those times would place in a high school meet – they’re that low,” says Campbell, pointing out that her record time in the 100 would be even lower if it weren’t for that pesky spring wind. “We went to Southwestern last year, and she ran an 11.9 – she was flying. But she got mad when I told her it wouldn’t count – there was a 20 mile-per-hour tailwind right behind her.”
Campbell and the other coaches are keenly aware of the kind of talent they’re seeing at such a young age.
“We’re kind of playing it by ear, not wanting to push too hard,” he says, adding that Wise is already experiencing the normal changes of a developing teenage athlete, including hip flexors and shin splints.
Because of those minor injuries, the Braves plan on moving Wise away from the 400 this year and letting her focus more on shorter sprints and long jump, as well as the 400 relay.
“Usually, girls get slower as they get older, so you have to find ways to fight through that and the high school coaches help us out a lot,” says Campbell, who oversees more than 70 student-athletes in the ICMS track program, an impressive tally for a Class 2A school. “We look at it as a seven-year development, and we’re one big family.”
While the coaches are planning and monitoring her progress, Wise is doing her part to realize her dreams, explaining that she doesn’t over train.
“I try to not overdo it – I play a lot of basketball, which helps keep me in shape,” says Katie, alluding to her contributions to the Braves eighth grade conference championship girls basketball team.
Despite her desire to continue to play basketball as well, Wise’s first love remains track.
“I love the finish,” she says. “I really love seeing how fast I can finish a race – it makes me happy.”
“I usually speed up more at the end because my starts aren’t always the best,” continues Wise, who says she has a little bit of difficulty with the blocks at the starting line. “I’m just not that used to them (the blocks) yet.”
Ironically, few believe that Wise will have a problem coming out of the proverbial blocks in high school next year. “Katie stays focused on her own;” says Randy, mentioning his daughter’s dreams of reaching the state finals and maybe even one day, the Olympics. “She just loves to run.”
Always has, right Dad?
BREAKOUT BOX:
Get to know: Katie Wise
Favorite TV show: “Gossip Girl”
Favorite movie: “Love & Basketball”
Favorite athlete: Reggie Miller
Favorite track event: 100 meter dash
Best weather to run in: I like it a little warmer, like mid-70s.
Song that pumps you up before a race: Rap or punk rock
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