Hunter Veith

Though he did set the 8th grade record in the triple jump, Hunter Veith didn’t at first strike the coaching staff as someone who would become the greatest jumper in school history.  He ran cross country in the fall of his freshman year and made the varsity team.  In the winter, he neither participated in a sport nor lifted weights.  Once track rolled around, however, he was hooked as he ecstatically bounced around between the three jumping events at his first track meet astonished at the new personal bests he set in all three.  He went 5′ 10″ in HJ, 18′ 3″ in LJ, and 38′ 10.5″ in TJ, all very good marks for a freshman, but it was just the beginning.  He exploded at the Norwich meet with confidence given by a nice tail wind.  Moments after Cash Kramer became our first 40-ft jumper in a decade, Hunter joined the club as well, only Hunter finished the meet with a leap of 42′ 3″.  Just like that, a freshman was the 2nd best triple jumper in school history.  He came back down to Earth for a few meets, not even placing at the league meet at 39′ 5.5″ before he won the regional at Andale with a jump of 42′ 8″.  Finally, proving it wasn’t a fluke, he PR’d again at state, placing third at 42′ 10.5″, just five inches away from the school record to end his freshman season.  It was a record Matt Bohm set at the final meet of his senior year as a Cardinal – the state meet in 1988.

Hunter had lofty expectations for himself heading into his sophomore track season and seemed well on his way to achieving them.  He started out the season again with three PR’s including a new school record in the triple jump 43′ 5″.  His back was sore, but not too much was thought of it.  The following week at Wichita State, his back was bothering him to the point he had to withdraw during the high jump competition.  At doctor’s visit revealed he actually had fractures in his vertebrae with ended his season.  The exact cause was never fully known, but it may have been from the sheer force Hunter subjected himself to while he jumped.

Fortunately, he made a full recovery and began his junior, yet again, with a triple jump PR of 44′ 8.25″.  He held out of high jump to protect his back, but began to chase the oldest school record on the books, Gale Pipkin’s 1969 long jump record of 22′ 4″.  He entered the season with a 21′ 6″ from first meet sophomore so it was only a matter of time.  It eluded him for a little longer than hoped.  He jumped 21′ 10.5″ at Garden Plain and 22′ 2″ at Hesston before finally jumping 22′ 10.5″ at the CPL meet which also broke the league record.  The CPL meet also saw his season best in triple 46′ 9.75″, also a new CPL record.

As Hunter’s confidence grew, he felt it was time to try high jump again.  At the Hesston meet, off limited training, he promised he’d take it easy.  Not only did he win the event, he PR’d by seven inches and set a new school record at 6′ 9″.

Hunter entered the regional meet as one of the top overall jumpers in class 4A unaware he was about to encounter the biggest disappointment of his track career.  He qualified easily in the LJ and HJ and nearly qualified in the javelin, finishing 6th.  He was one of the last competitors in the TJ, but whether from exhaustion, adrenalin, or the wind, his mark just wasn’t on.  He scratched his first two attempts.  If he could just get into finals, the rest should take care of itself, he was the top ranked triple jumper in 4A.  He adjusted his mark and tried to watch the board to ensure a legal jump.  He got the jump off, but his rhythm was so thrown off he only managed a 40′ 2.5″.  On that day, that wasn’t enough to get him into the finals.  It was almost only a consolation prize that he brought home the state title in the long jump that year.

Hunter’s goals heading into his senior year were astronomical.  With a few expected ups and and downs throughout the season, he set new PR marks in the TJ 47′ 7.5″ and LJ 23′ 5.5″.  He was the LJ champion at the KU Relays and finished as the 3A state champion in both LJ and TJ.  He also placed third in HJ and javelin. (His 187′ 4″ javelin toss, 4th all-time for Cheney is almost relegated to a footnote).  His 32 points at the state meet rivals Drew Thalmann’s 32.5 in 1997 (Drew won four golds, but one was a relay).  With the addition of Weston Lavington’s 4th place finish in the TJ, the Cheney boys finished 5th as a team at state.

Hunter with his medals from the KU Relays

Winning state in the long jump as a junior.