CASPER, Wyo. — On Friday, Natrona County Mustang Mason Weickum wasn’t sure if he’d run again at the state track and field championships after straining his hamstring. One day later, he was crowned a state champion.
Weickum ran the 110-meter hurdles in 14.66 seconds Saturday morning, earning him the top spot on the winner’s podium despite lingering soreness from the injury. Upon crossing the finish line, Weickum collapsed on the ground, but not in pain — in relief. Immediately, he was swarmed by family and friends congratulating him.
“I was definitely not feeling my best heading in,” Weickum said, “but I went out and did my thing; powered through and won the race.”
Though Weickum wasn’t feeling at full strength heading into the final heat, it didn’t take long for him to hit his stride.
“It was close on those first two hurdles,” he said. “But after that, I could feel that I had it.”
He made sure not to let up in the home stretch, though, and exerted all of his energy to finish strong. When he finally stopped running, he could barely stand.
Weickum, a senior, said the state title is the perfect bookend to his high school athletic career.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” he said breathlessly, with a grin across his face. “I’m so glad I didn’t scratch it after I got hurt.”
And Weickum was not the only local athlete to shine on the state track and field championships’ last day.
In the girls 100-meter hurdles, Kelly Walsh High School’s Jordan Kroeger placed third, while NCHS’s Iliana Taulealea finished right behind her in fourth. And in the girls 100-meter dash, Natrona County’s Mackenzie Bradach placed fourth, Kelly Walsh’s Madeline Thorne came in fifth and NCHS’s Charlotte Ward placed seventh. On the boys’ side of the 100-meter dash, Mustangs Nomar Gonzalez and Luke Spencer placed fifth and sixth, respectively.
In the girls 300-meter hurdles, Kelly Walsh saw Rylie Alberts and Kroeger finish fourth and seventh, respectively. In the boys’ race, Trojan Caleb Ortberg placed sixth.
In the high jump, Natrona County’s Kaiden Lee was the state runner-up, while Kelly Walsh’s Eric Whitley placed fourth.
Several events have yet to be completed, such as the 1600-meter run, the 400-meter dash and the 4×400-meter relay.
