By Blake Chadwick
Records were meant to be broken. Wichita Heights’ Jack Harty will etch his name in the history books this season as he is on pace to break the 5K school record which was set in 2002.
“This has been a goal for me and my coach since the beginning of the season when I was 40 seconds off,” Harty said. “After getting a personal record at the Emporia Invitational this season, I am now 10 seconds off and hoping to get the record in the upcoming meets.”
Harty who is a senior started running cross country while in middle school and will go down as one of the best cross country runners in Heights history.
“Jack is a quiet and humble person,” head coach Brandon McMillen said. “He listens well and is highly coachable. Jack has put in a lot of commitment to the sport throughout the summer and in season. His practices and races are very calculated. Jack and I like to review data from each rep in practice or each marker in a race and make adjustments, of which he will usually nail within one or two seconds of accuracy. When he is tired, he doesn’t show it. When he needs a challenge, he will ask for more.”
Harty’s dedication has been key to his success.
“Something that makes me stand out is my commitment to training and pushing myself to be the best I can,” Harty said. “By the end of my sophomore cross country season my personal best time was 18:00. It wasn’t until the summer after my sophomore year where I began to put more time and effort into my training.”
