Wagner ends career with two golds, one silver at state

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Winning one gold medal is tough enough. Winning two in about 20 minutes is even tougher. Just ask Cale Wagner.

The Seward High senior pulled off the feat May 23 at the state track meet. After winning the Class B 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 38.9 seconds, Wagner walked back across the Omaha Burke football field to the long jump. He was given the minimum time to recover before stepping on the runway to jump.

“It was not very good,” he said, adding that he had to hit a good jump to make the finals—which he did.

As he was able to get his legs back, Wagner’s jumps improved, until he finally landed 21-11 from the board to win the event.

“It’s the only time this year I didn’t go over 22,” he said.

In the long jump, Wagner said, he started out with a six- to seven-step approach. As he increased his speed, he moved back to eight steps.

“You just drive and spring,” he said.

Coming into the state meet, though, Wagner was focused on the 300-meter hurdles.

“I worked on it all week,” he said.

He knew the 100-meter dash was stacked with great sprinters, so he felt he had a better chance in the hurdles.

His first goal in the race is to get out of the blocks fast. Then, the focus is running the first 200 meters well.

“Whoever gets to the fifth hurdle first wins,” he said. “Once you get the speed, you work on your form and steps.”

He said Coach Jeff Luebbe worked with him to cut down on his stutter steps between the hurdles. Eliminating that has improved his time by almost a second.

“It’s crazy coming down the stretch,” he said of the finals at state, where the huge crowd roars as the races finish. “You try to block it out.”

Wagner competed in the high jump and long jump at state last year, so having that experience was helpful, he said.

He doesn’t really have any superstitions, but he admitted he’s worn the same T-shirt and shorts to every meet.

“I’ve got to give it to the Man Above,” he said, adding that he’s worked hard, but it’s God-given talent.

Wagner said his coaches—Luebbe, Casey Makey and Brent Jackman—have been very helpful during his career. Jackman said, as a freshman, Wagner was used to fill in the team’s weaknesses.

“We beat him down,” he said. “He was able to get in the weight room so he was able to handle it.”

Wagner started out as a 5-3, 120-pound freshman and has grown into a 5-11, 175-pound senior.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.

Wagner plans to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the fall and compete in the decathlon. The 10-event competition includes the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter dash, 110-meter high hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter run.