TOPEKA — It hasn’t taken long for Humboldt High alum Drew Wilhite to make his mark on the college track and field scene.
Wilhite, in his first year of competition with Pittsburg State University’s track and field team, took home third place in the men’s heptathlon over the weekend at the MIAA Indoor Championships, hosted by Washburn University.
The heptathlon requires athletes to test their speed, endurance, agility and strength through seven events: the 60-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000-meter run.
Wilhite, a 2022 HHS graduate, finished ninth or better in all seven events, including taking first overall in the 60-meter dash, finishing in 7.09 seconds. He also took third in the shot put, with a throw of 41 feet, 5.75 inches, and fourth in the long jump at 21’11.5”.
Tack on his sixth-place finish in the pole vault (12’8.25”); seventh-place finishes in both the high jump and 1000 meters, and ninth place finish in the 60-meter hurdles, and it was good enough to score 4,940 points, the third highest among all MIAA competitors.
Wilhite cleared 6 feet in the high jump, and ran the 1,000 meters in 3 minutes, 1.02 seconds. He ran the 60m hurdles in 8.93 seconds.
Wilhite finished a scant 11 points behind silver medalist Aren Trost of Emporia State. Wilhite’s PSU teammate Doug Brown took the gold in the heptathlon, racking up 5,120 points.
Pitt State took home the MIAA team title as well, the squad’s eighth in the past 11 years. The women’s team also won the conference title.
Coming up in short order, Pittsburg State is the host site for the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships March 8 and 9.
The outdoor track and field season commences March 29.
Wilhite, the son of John and Loni Wilhite, celebrated his 20th birthday on Monday. He redshirted last year as a freshman, which means he still retains four years to compete at the college level.
