By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Versatility is just the name of the game for Kickapoo sophomore Jaden Wiley.
She’s a three-sport athlete – finding success as a freshman in both tennis and basketball – but nowhere was Wiley’s versatility and unique athletic ability more prevalent than in track and field.
Wiley blazed through the Ozarks (literally) on her way to winning the Class 5 300-meter hurdle state championship (43.36) and finishing fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (14.66). In total, Wiley herself accounted for 15 points, helping Kickapoo earn third place in Class 5 as a team despite taking just a senior, a sophomore and four freshmen.
“It was one of the best experiences that I had ever had for sports,” said Wiley. “I had goals through the season, and it felt amazing to meet them. My teammates really helped me feel confident and supported all the way through until the end.”
But, despite her love of jumping over things, Wiley isn’t just a hurdler.
Sure, she had the top time in the 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles, but Wiley also finished among the top 15 in all the Ozarks in six different events, flashing brilliance in the 200-meter dash (sixth), 400-meter dash (ninth), 100-meter dash (14th) and long jump (15th).
Wiley’s success didn’t come as a surprise to longtime Kickapoo coach Jeremy Goddard.
He’s coached some of Kickapoo’s most successful track athletes, including Allison Bailey and Jordan Sanders. Wiley displayed some of the same early signs of greatness that those state champions also had.
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“We knew who she was when she was in middle school dominating the other girls in the city, but when we went to the KU meet last year and competed against the best in the Midwest, we saw for sure what she would be capable of doing,” said Goddard. “It was very interesting watching a freshman at her first elite-level meet handle all the pressure and still perform at an excellent level.
“I talked with her before and knew how nervous she was, but she was able to stay focused and put together great performances. To perform well at that meet takes a special talent level, but it also takes a special level of mental skills as well. When you get an athlete as talented as Jaden with the mental mettle to back it up, you have something special.”
The early success helped Wiley acclimate nearly immediately.
She admitted that at times nerves were a factor, but that feeling dissipated quickly.
“I got nervous for the first couple races, but it was more adrenaline,” said Wiley. “I never felt like I didn’t belong. Any time I stepped on the track I felt confident. I had great upperclassmen who talked to me and helped me through it.”
Some of Wiley’s poise also stems from her role on back-to-back Ozark Conference championship basketball teams for Jim Pendergrass.
She was the MVP of the prestigious Stephanie Phillips Classic in December and helped lead Kickapoo to its fourth consecutive 20-win season on the hardwood.
“I think basketball has helped me become a more confident athlete,” said Wiley. “I’ve played it since first grade. So, I think over the years winning and losing big games has showed me a lot. It’s helped show me what my team and I are capable of.”
Her athleticism has helped her quickly become one of the best defenders in the Ozarks. That athleticism is also something she comes by honestly.
Angie (Peters) Wiley was a star basketball player at Buffalo High School and later went on to become a standout at Pittsburg State, stilling ranking top-five at the university in single-season assists and steals average.
Chuck Wiley was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 1990, spending four seasons in the organization’s minor league system and appearing in more than 100 games at a pitcher.
Older brother Logan was also a Kickapoo standout, leading the Chiefs to a Class 5 third-place finish in 2015 and earning All-State baseball honors. After starting his career at Kansas State, he is now pitching for Missouri State.
In a family full of athletes, the youngest Wiley is now making her mark, and her goals this season are as immense as her talent.
“I hope to get faster times through this season and keep working hard,” said Wiley. “I have a goal to get some more medals at state. We also have some young freshmen who are talented, along with some great girls returning. It would be very fun for our girls to place even higher than last year. I will just try to do my best with the hurdle events. There are some very fast girls, but I will just work my hardest and try to have fun.”
Goddard believes that despite all the success Wiley enjoyed as a freshman, she has qualities and talent that suggest her best days are ahead of her.
“Jaden is really fast, but she also loves to compete. It doesn’t matter what she is competing, she loves to race and to win,” said Goddard. “With that mentality she attacks every race of any distance with the same aggression. She is not afraid to hurt or empty the tank; she will give what she has in order to win.
“Jaden’s success is most definitely sustainable. She is a relentless worker and, although is already a state champion, she is so driven to do better that she will not rest in her success. She knew that her success in middle school was in a small pond. Now she has moved up to a bigger pond, but her eyes are on the ocean. We knew last year by districts that she would have an opportunity to win an event or two at the state level, and it was our goal to keep things simple for her and allow her to focus on doing that. This year she will be able to handle a few more events, and I have no doubt she will maintain the level of success she has already had but will probably surpass it year after year.”
