EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville's Bruce Wachowski has teamed up with A.J. Epenesa the past couple of years to provide a potent 1-2 punch for the boys track and field Tigers in the throwing event.
Wachowski is now going to get the opportunity to show what he can do at the next level, signing a letter of intent to throw for Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, located near Kankakee, beginning next track and field season.
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The Tigers are an NAIA school and a member of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference; the school has hosted training camp for the NFL's Chicago Bears since 2002.
“It's a really nice school,” Wachowski said. “They're pretty good nationally and in the NAIA; they're one of the top throwing schools and I'm excited to see what life has to offer for me in the next year.”
Wachowski was up at Olivet for a track meet when he was invited to fill out an information card for the school. “I was up there for a track meet – I believe it was the Lockport Invitational,” Wachowski said. “I was going in to the fieldhouse after I had already thrown and just watching the track meet when one of the student workers said, 'oh, fill out one of these cards if you're an athlete'. I filled it out and didn't think much of it. A couple of months later, I got a call from coach (Tanner) Hurt (one of the Tigers' assistants) and talked to him.
“Later on, he offered me to throw and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to throw in college; once I started up this year, I knew I was ready to go a few more years and give it a shot in college.”
Wachowski had been looking at SIU-Edwardsville, but not to take part in athletics. “I wasn't going to throw there,” Wachowski said. “I could have walked on, but I wasn't really sure if that's what I wanted; if I was going to stay around here, I was going to focus on academics, but I decided after going to Olivet – and they really did stress upon academics – I knew living on campus was going to be a positive for my academics and I'd be in the best physical and mental shape in the best environment for my grades.”
“It's a great opportunity,” said EHS throws coach Matt Martin. “He's going to get some or all of his school paid for and the opportunity to do something he loves for the next four years and get an education.
“Really, I think he's done is a heck of a job; what we're looking for now is just more consistency, to bring those types of throws every meet. He came in with a good background and has improved every year. He's a very solid No. 2 who could be a No. 1 for most schools.”
Wachowski and Epenesa push each other to their best in practice and in meets. “They're competitive; it's good for both of them. There's things Bruce does well and things A.J. does well; they learn from each other,” Martin said. “They score a lot of points for the team.”
“Whenever we can work together and score the team as many points as possible,” Wachowski said, “that's what we're here for.”
“Our program is focused on trying to be good in all the events,” said Tiger head coach Chad Lakatos, “not being just a distance program, just being a hurdle program or just a program; we're trying to attack from all different angles. Coach Martin does a great job with the throws and Bruce has bought into the program.
“Two years ago, we asked Bruce to come out for football and he decided to come out his junior and senior year (as an offensive tackle) and I think that's helped him, being a multi-sport athlete; you've seen some big gains since then. It helped him conditioning, working hard and competing in practice and being part of the weight room where, his freshman and sophomore year in the fall, he wasn't doing anything – it makes a big difference.”
One thing Lakatos and Martin have emphasized over the years is having their athletes play more than one sport. “We've got too many kids here at Edwardsville for them to be just one sport only,” Lakatos said. “The football-track relationship is probably better than any other two sports in the school, and it should be because five of our six coaches are on the football staff.
“We want both programs to do well and we make the kids work.”
Wachowski's personal best in the discus throw is 165-8 and in the shot put, 51-5. “Every meet, the goal is to PR,” Wachowski said. “If I can PR at sectionals and qualify for state, that would be awesome. In the disc, I just want to keep getting better, and in the shot, I want to hit 52-8 and qualify (for the state meet in Charleston Memorial Day weekend).”
Wachowski's not sure what he will major in at Olivet. “I've kicked around a few ideas; I'd like to do something in legal studies field or I've thought about psychology,” Wachowski said. “I've kicked around a few ideas; I don't really know.”
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