LEOLA – He has been here before and now Dustin Wurtz wants to ensure a different outcome.

The Leola senior has been the top thrower in Class B shot put and will be an overwhelming favorite heading to this week’s state track and field meet in Sioux Falls.

He has had a phenomenal spring, which included breaking a 55-year-old school record. However, he also knows that nothing is guaranteed and what it’s like to have a target on his back.

“I definitely think about it a lot, because my sophomore year I came in first and then came out second,” Wurtz said. “I still think about that a lot and it still bites. It just reminds me that anything can happen.”

After finishing fifth at state in both the shot put and discus last season, Wurtz has been a dominant thrower his senior season, especially in the shot, where he has thrown nearly eight feet farther than his next closest competitor.

“I’m a lot more discpline mentally and physically,” Wurtz said. “I’m pushing my body to it’s limits most days. I can definitely feel the wear and tear starting to set in.”

Wurtz has been counting down his remaining throws for nearly a month and knows exactly that he has six of each left at this week’s state meet.

“I love doing it,” Wurtz said. “I just don’t know how much more of this I can take physically.”

Wurtz said that shot put is more physically demanding than discus, noting he can throw disc nearly twice as much in practice.

“In practice after about eight throws in shot, I am dead,” Wurtz said. “I’m so tired.”

And it takes a lot for Wurtz to wear down. He was a standout football player for Leola-Frederick as a three-year starter on the offensive and defensive lines and is also a state champion weightlifter in the 220-pound division, owning the Class A state record in the squat at 530 pounds.

“Dustin is a great kid and works extremely hard at his craft,” said Titans football coach Jeff Kosters. “He found the weight room in high school, and it has paid immense dividends for him in everything he has done (lineman in football, powerlifter, and thrower in track).”

While Wurtz doesn’t need any assistance in the throwing rings, he has found an ally in teammate Jacob Kindelspire, who also is among the statewide leaders this season in both the shot put and discus.

“Me and Jacob Kindeslpire are very good friends. We really rely on each other,” Wurtz said. “I can definitely tell, when I’m not with Jacob I can’t throw as well.”

The two throwers went to a camp last summer and also lift together.

“We’ve done a lot of things together that have helped both of us get better at shot and disc,” Wurtz said.

In fact the two have gotten to be so close that Wurtz said, “If he were to get the school record next year I wouldn’t even be mad.”

While Wurtz broke the school record dating back to 1970, chasing more records is what has motivated him throughout the season. The big one still remaining is the state record, which is nearly five feet farther than his career best of 57-feet, 6 1/2-inches. Wurtz knows breaking that mark will be difficult, but anything is possible.

“I’m hoping that if I just have a good day and things click perfectly, I can pull one out,” Wurtz said.

Through the years there have been many hard hits in football, and long practices in track. Those will soon be gone. However, Wurtz would like to continue the physical grind of lifting.

“It takes a much bigger toll on your body, maybe not as much as football, but I can definitely feel in my knees, my back and my elbows what power lifting has done to me over the years,” Wurtz said. “But I still love it and I will try to continue to do it.”

One thing is for sure, Wurtz has left his mark on the programs he has been in during his high school career.

“He is a leader by example,” Kosters said, “and his work ethic will serve him well as he moves forward to the next chapter of his life, whatever that may be.”

Wurtz is still not 100 percent sure of his long-range plans.

For the short term, he has shown he has all the strength necessary to bring home a state championship in the shot put. He is now focusing on his mental toughness as he heads into his final prep competition.

“I’m really trying to lock down my mental state, because I know how it feels to go in first and come out second,” Wurtz said. “It’s definitely not a great feeling and I just really don’t want it to happen again. … I have a pretty good handle on my mental state when it comes to this.”