CLINTON — Freshman sprinter Wyatt Dehring did not arrive at the varsity level quietly.
After dominating middle school competition and winning league titles as an eighth grader, the Clinton freshman has immediately become one of the top boys track and field athletes in the state, helping power the Redwolves into state contention in multiple events.
Dehring captured LCAA championships in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and long jump during the conference finals at Hillsdale, continuing a breakout freshman campaign that has quickly put him into the top lists of Division 3 standings.
The ninth grader enters this weekend’s regional meet at Adrian Madison ranked third in Division 3 in the 100 with a personal-best time of 11.05 seconds, while also sitting inside the top 10 in Division 3 in the 200 at 22.39. His long jump mark of 21 feet, 6 inches, has him among the state’s top jumpers in 10th.
Those performances have already punched his ticket to the Division 3 state finals at Kent City, allowing the freshman to shift his focus toward regional titles and helping Clinton pursue a deep postseason run as a team. He’s an early qualifier in the 200 and the 4×100.
“It feels great,” Dehring said. “All my hard work and stuff’s paid off. I really look at the timings and see what I need to improve on and stuff. And I just go hard every day.”
Dehring’s rise has been steady throughout the spring.
He opened the outdoor season with victories in both sprint events at the Clinton Redwolf Invite, running 11.59 in the 100 and 23.00 in the 200. He later lowered his 100 time to 11.21 during an LCAA dual against Blissfield and Dundee before exploding for his state-ranking 11.05 at the Madison and Clinton meet at Ida on May 4. In the 200, he set a meet record at the Hinsdale Invitational with a personal best time of 22.39, earning his early qualifying spot.
Just four days later, he backed it up with another league title performance at the LCAA Championships, winning the 100 in 11.10 seconds and taking the 200 crown in 23.07 despite running into the wind.
Dehring also consistently climbed in the long jump throughout the season. After opening the year at 20 feet, 9 inches, he surpassed 21 feet multiple times before recording a personal-best leap of 21-6 on May 4. He matched that mark again while winning the LCAA title.
The freshman said his preparation and the trust from Clinton’s coaching staff have helped him adjust quickly to varsity competition.
“They just trust me a lot,” Dehring said.
Dehring has also become a key piece of Clinton’s relay success. Alongside teammates Jimmy Schaffner, Cory Hoover and Brenden Benschoter, Dehring helped the Redwolves win the LCAA title in the 4×100 relay with a meet-record time of 43.64 seconds. The quartet has already broken Clinton’s school record multiple times this season and also owns an early state qualifying mark.
Dehring said Clinton believes it can compete for more than individual accolades this postseason, as the team looks to potentially punch its ticket to the MITCA D3 team state championship held at Manton High School.
“Our team is looking in good shape,” Dehring said. “I think we’re just top 16 for the state team that we’re trying to go to. And I think we’ll do good.”
While Dehring’s freshman season has already included league championships, state qualifying performances and top three Division 3 rankings, the Redwolves believe there is still more ahead as regionals and the state finals approach.
“It’s just a start,” Dehring said.
The Redwolves will also compete at the Lenawee County Championships, hosted by Sand Creek, on Saturday, May 23. Dehring currently leads the County in the 100, 200 and with the 4×100 team.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Clinton freshman Wyatt Dehring chases sprint titles at regions, states
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / The Daily Telegram
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
