Wyatt Johnson came to Kansas Wesleyan two years ago with the intention of running sprints for the Coyotes' track team.
Coach Kyle Hiser had a better idea.
Johnson has become a middle distance extraordinaire in his sophomore year as evidenced Friday night on the second and final day of the Kansas Conference Track and Field Championships at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.
He won the 800- and 1,500-meter races while leading KWU to a second-place finish in the team standings. The Coyotes compiled 153 points just eight behind Evangel. Friends was third with 135 points and Saint Mary fourth with 127.
"I'm just really proud of how every event we came out and battled," Hiser said. "We gave it our all and just came up a little bit shy. Evangel had a great meet.
"I just can't thank our senior class enough for everything they did across the board. They bought into a program that was building and took a chance. And I'm just thankful that we have administration that puts me and my coaching staff in position to go out and be successful."
At the conclusion of the event, assistant coach Garrett Young was named the KCAC Assistant Coach of the Year for the second straight outdoor season and the third time in a row after earning the honor in February for
Johnson, who hails from Lindsborg, won the 1,500 with a time of 3:59.83 and the 800 in 1:52.65.
"I recruited Wyatt as a sprinter," Hiser said. "He said, 'I'm going to go do cross country my senior year in high school' and he ran okay. He's just turned into just a kid who is going to put the team on his back and say, 'who's along for the ride?' He's throwing it down with some of the top runners in the NAIA. Couldn't ask more for him as a sophomore and his story's not done yet."
Julian Avila placed third in the 800 (1:54.04), Triston Cotton fifth (1:55.65), Ty Davidson sixth (1:55.75), Ian Doss 11th (1:58.75), Nicolas Martinez 14th (1:59.19) and Giovanni Rios 22nd (2:02.55).
In the 1,500 Avila was fifth (4:05.06), Austin Schaeffer seventh (4:07.71), Rios eighth (4:07.71), Tim Parish 16th (4:28.15), Jack Horacek 19th (4:35.80), Landon Steeger 23rd (4:39.60) and Will Childers 25th (4:41.33).
Keegan Lott competed in two throwing events Thursday and tackled two more Friday, placing third in the discus (47.68 meters) and the shot put (14.99m).
"I don't know if there's another thrower doing fourth rows over the weekend and that's just what he does. He gets on the podium," Hiser said. "The kid has a heart of gold, and he works harder than anyone I've ever been around."
Dylan Worrell was seventh in the shot put (14.19 meters), Keyon Baccus 14th (12.88) and Austin Baird 24th (9:08).
In the discus Baccus placed sixth (45.66 meters), Worrell 22nd (34.48) and Baird 25th (33.36).
Damion Jackson and Austin Hess led the way in the 5,000 meters, Jackson taking third (15:15.24) and Hess sixth (15:23.50).
"Austin did everything to get this distance team where it's at," Hiser said. "He's our culture swinger; he turned it around. Damion just goes out and does his thing. He's always going to be a person in the KCAC that's up there fighting to win and qualify for national championships."
Evan Pearce finished ninth (15:31.54) in the 5,000 meters, Jake Cruz 11th (15:40.67), Tytus Reed 15th (15:57.62), Cisco Alvarez 18th (16:06.46) and Schaeffer 21st (16:15.25).
Sprinter Zamari Burrell was fourth in the 100 meters (10.70) and fifth in the 200 meters (21.49).
"He's been injured all year," Hiser said. "He ran our first meet of the year, got banged up and we didn't have him touch the track again till our home meet. He's one of the most talented guys I've ever coached. With limited practice he came out and scored and ran PRs (personal records) in all of his races."
Three Coyotes scored points in the 400-meter hurdles led by Brennan Allen who finished fifth (57.95), Brenden Ellis sixth (58.06) and Tristan Howard seventh (58.86). Cayden Russell was ninth (1:00.22) and Riley Gates 11th (1:01.71).
"Brennan Allen's a freshman football player who said, 'coach I want to try the hurdles and jumped in there and placed fifth," Hiser said. "Brenden Ellis is a steeplechaser and was a hurdler in high school and said, 'I want to give it a go.'. Tristan Howard's a graduate transfer from Emporia State and is an extremely hard worker. They all ran well."
Howard also placed sixth in the 110-meter hurdles (15.23).
The men's 4x400-meter team of Allen, Alvarez, Darius Archuleta and Avila finished on a high note taking third (3:20.82) in the last event.
The 4x100-meter team of Tyler Fontenot, Kean Dinkel, Andrew Smith and Lorenzo Vaccari placed fifth (42.52).
Nate Chavez was seventh in the 400 meters (50.52), Smith 13th (51.24), Sidney Washington 14th (51.56), Trevor Peal 18th (51.89) and Ruben Rivera Agosto 24th (54.06).