Clarksville's Hayden Waleski overcomes injury, illness to become All-Area boys runner of the year

Not much seemed to go right for Clarksville's Hayden Waleski during the first two weeks of the high school cross country season.

Waleski conceded that he hadn't done enough as a freshman or sophomore to be considered one of the city's top runners. He set out last summer to change that. But he quickly found himself nursing a back injury and then an illness, both of which kept him from making a dent in early season races.

But Waleski kept his fitness level up and when finally healthy, he quickly established himself as the one to beat. It has led to Waleski being named the 2022 Leaf-Chronicle All-Area boys cross country runner of the year.

"It was an uphill battle for me to start the year," he said. "I wasn't the greatest runner in the past two years but I needed to step it up."

Clarksville junior Hayden Waleski was named the 2022 Leaf-Chronicle All Area boys cross country runner of the year.
Clarksville junior Hayden Waleski was named the 2022 Leaf-Chronicle All Area boys cross country runner of the year.

Waleski started a rigorous training schedule just before the season, then backed off sharply days before his first race.

"I came back from a camp at Wake Forest and was running 40-45 miles per week," Waleski said. "Then tried to scale back. But then I hurt my back and doctor told me it was a slight lumbar tear. It was difficult for me to even walk, much less run."

After taking a week off to let his back heal, Waleski said he started feeling ill. He competed in a race in which he finished in the back half of the field.

ALL AREA SOCCERRecord-breaking Madison Bennett earns All-Area girls soccer player of the year honor

ALL AREA VOLLEYBALLClarksville volleyball's Krista Haake captures second straight All Area player of the year

GIRLS GOLFZoe Phillips leads Clarksville back to state, earns All-Area girls golfer of the year

"But then I set a personal record at a race in the Wildcat-Montgomery County Run in Septemeber," Waleski said. " I had lost some motivation after the back injury and sickness, but after PR'ing in September, I felt like everything started to work for me."

Waleski ran a 16:52 in that September meet. He also learned the importance of pre-race stretching and post-race recovery.

"I really wasn't doing that," the junior said. "I wasn't really warming up before races. I'd just go out and run. But that was having a negative effect on me."

Waleski captured the Region 7-3A championship in a time of 17:59.53 while his Clarksville team captured the region title. Waleski finished 121st at state (18:24.74).

"My teammates gave me added motivation," Waleski said. "We had a really great team and they kept me up. I didn't want to let anyone down and I didn't want my junior year to end the way it started."

Waleski's sister, Brooke, was named the girls runner of the year. It's the first time a brother-sister duo has won the award in the same season.

All-Area Boys Cross Country team

Cyrus Sanders

Clarksville, So.

Why chosen: Sanders finished region runner-up in a time of 18:15.54 and was 126th at state (18:30.13).

Hayden Waleski

Clarksville, Jr.

Why chosen: Waleski captured the region championship in a time of 17:59.53 and finished 121st at state (18:24.74). He was first among city runners in MSCAA Championship and first in Wildcat-Montgomery County Run.

Jayden Waller

Clarksville, Fr.

Why chosen: Waller finished sixth at region in a time of 19:09.20 and 140th at state (18:41.40).

Colten Hility

Northeast, So.

Why chosen: Hility had a person best of 17:42 and finished fourth in the region meet in a time of 18:49.02. and was 163rd at state (19:16.59).

Michael Thompson

Northwest, Jr.

Why chosen: Thompson ran a season-best 18:19 at Dickson County meet and finished seventh at region in a time of 19:09 and finished 143rd at state (18:43).

Kaiden Doty-Sisto

Rossview, Jr.

Why chosen: Doty-Sisto finished eighth at region in a time of 19:20.39 and 176th at state (19:46.24).

This article originally appeared on Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Clarksville's Hayden Waleski named boys cross country runner of year