IPSWICH – His name will likely be up on the record board for years to come; his legacy will fill the school hallways for much longer than that.
When Ty Kadlec competes for the last time at the state track meet this weekend, the Ipswich senior will conclude a career that reached far beyond the realm of athletics.
“He’s truly one of the best athletes I’ve probably ever coached,” said Ipswich track and field coach Todd Thorson, “but even more importantly, he’s got great character and he’s a great individual.”
Kadlec and Thorson share a bond that goes back to kindergarten basketball.
Through the years they’ve developed a relationship and trust where each knows what to expect from each other.
Much of what Kadlec believes in track comes directly from Thorson.
Like getting up at 6:30 each morning in the summer to head to the weight room, because as Kadlec learned, “strength equals speed.” Or like the form that Kadlec uses in his sprint races, which features being, “tall and smooth. That’s what Thorson teaches us.”
As a result, Kadlec has been able to accomplish his goal of becoming the school’s all-time record holder in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. He was also a part of the record-setting 400-meter and 800-meter relay teams.
There’s no doubt that the hours spent in the weight room have helped.
“Sports has taught me that if you want something you have to work hard to achieve it,” Kadlec said.
But there’s been much more to it than that.
Thorson has watched Kadlec impact those around him, whether as a teammate in football, basketball or track, or as a classmate around others at school.
“You see him working hard in the commons area, being nice to the students around him,” Thorson said. “It’s not just being an athlete that makes him great. He’s just a great human being.”
Thorson is quick to praise Kadlec’s parents, Gerard and Emily, for the influence and impact on their son and the individual he has become.
“Ty has turned out so good. I’m so proud of him,” Thorson said. “I can’t wait to see what he does beyond athletics or just in life.”
Kadlec, who said his favorite sport is basketball, was a key member of the Tigers football team which won the Lake Region Conference championship this past fall, the basketball team which improved from 5 to 12 wins this past winter, and a track and field squad which will be in the hunt for a state team championship this weekend.
Still, that’s not what he will remember most once he graduates.
“Probably the things I’ll miss most is the bus rides and having fun with my friends,” Kadlec said. “Competing is only a fourth compared to the bus rides that we’ve had and practices.”
Kadlec has one more goal to accomplish before heading off to South Dakota State next year where he will go into civil engineering. He plans on giving everything he has left in the tank at this week’s state track and field meet Thursday through Saturday in Sioux Falls.
“All my team is peaking at the right time,” Kadlec said. “We’re all going to make a statement at the track meet, so it will be fun.”
While Kadlec already owns the fastest times in Ipswich history in sprint races, Thorson believes he can lower those times even more if the conditions are ideal.
“In my eyes, we still haven’t had a nice tailwind. Most 100 meter and 200 meter records are broke with a tailwind,” said Thorson, noting that Kadlec has had to endure crosswinds and sometimes even headwinds so far this spring. “I think he can go significantly faster, actually, given the right opportunity.”
Kadlec, whose best time in the 100 is :11.20 and the 200 is 22:74, is definitely gearing up for one last big push in his final days of wearing an Ipswich uniform.
“What motivates me is getting a good place at state and also the feeling of accomplishment after I beat the school records,” Kadlec said, “because then my name will still be in the school after I leave the school.”
More than a name on a board with a number attached to it, Kadlec will undoubtedly be recalled for much more than that once he leaves to begin the next chapter in his life.
Thorson has coached many superior athletes through the years, but few that have made the lives of everyone around them better the way Kadlec has. It’s why Thorson uses the term “irreplaceable” when talking about the leader of his current group of athletes.
“I tell them this stuff all the time, good athletes come and go, but the character and how you treat people is what people really remember,” Thorson said, “and I’m pretty sure they’ll be remembering him for that as well.”
