Record-Breaking Track Star Wade Baker Prepares for Track Season

By: Alana Wickering

Junior Track and Field athlete Wade Baker, sets a high standard for himself. Originally from Chewelah, Washington, he first got involved in the sport in sixth grade. 

“I was always a bigger guy so running and jumping wasn’t really my thing, so I just started throwing,” Baker said. 

From a young age Baker was exposed to the sport. 

“Wade comes from a very athletic family, his mom threw in the Olympic trials back when she was a collegiate athlete,” Head Coach of Track and Field, Joel Popenfuse said. “Going out and competing is all in a day’s work for Baker.”

Baker is described as one of the humblest teammates and people anyone has ever met. Baker stands out from other athletes. 

“Besides his size, his work ethic and his ability to just talk to everybody. He is an outgoing person, he’s super nice,” teammate Dawson Frett said.

Baker broke the school record last year in shot put and weight throw and since then continues to break his record each meet. 

“Wade set six school records between the two throwing events he competes in during the indoor season, so that’s like a whole team’s worth of indoor new records,” Popenfuse said. 

“It’s almost like a weekly thing now,” Wade said. “It’s awesome!”

Baker was the only athlete to go to the North Star Association National Indoor Meet in Brookings, South Dakota this year. Originally ranked 19th in the country in shot put and weight throw, he finished 17th in the shot put and 25th in the weight throw.

“I’m looking forward to him continuing gaining strength in the weight room and getting quicker in the ring,” Popenfuse described. 

According to Baker’s teammates, he comes off as a comfortable guy, always in sweats and gym shorts but he is one of the most hard working and dedicated athletes the team has.

Baker has found a lot of success and he believes it is “Definitely all the support from my family and friends, being eager to throw farther and get stronger.”

Self-motivated and driven are two more ways to describe him. Baker has big plans of being number one in the country for his events throughout his time at Waldorf University.

Outdoor Track season is right around the corner and Baker is set on continuing his record-breaking streak. The kickoff outdoor meet was supposed to be held April 2 at Bolstorff Field in Forest City, Iowa, but not enough teams signed up, so the location is still in question.