Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Austin West likes being busy.

As a three-sport athlete excelling in football, baseball and track the West High senior has grown accustomed to an active schedule.

It was a desire to continue that hectic pace that first attracted West to the decathlon as a possible fit for his college future.

“That’s kind of what drew me to the multi-event at first is I play three sports,” West said. “I’m busy all year round so I didn’t want to go from that to just running one event.”

The chance to keep busy helped West decide on his event for his track future.

Last week he made the decision on where he would continue his career with a verbal commitment to Iowa.

A state runner-up in the 400 hurdles last spring, West took visits to Oklahoma, Wisconsin and Arkansas before settling on the hometown Hawkeyes who see West as a future decathlete.

“It’s always kind of been a dream so it’s a dream come true,” West said. “I just wanted to separate it from it being Iowa, I didn’t want to fall in love with it just being the team I had grown up on the football field and the basketball court and after I took my visits that was still the place I wanted to be.”

After taking care of his future plans West turned his attention to the present, continuing his strong start to his senior season by winning two events at the Mississippi Valley Conference indoor track and field meet at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls on Monday.

At the MVC indoor event West showed the versatility that had college coaches tabbing him for the multi-events.

He won the 600 meters in 1:25.14 and added a title in the long jump with a leap of 22-2 ¼.

“His goal last year was to win the state pentathlon, what kid makes that their season end goal?” West High coach TJ Craig said. “He’s that kind of kid. He sets his mind on something and he wants to get it done and he does the things to get it done.”

West was a key contributor West High relay teams last season and added the runner-up finish in the 400 hurdles after asking to give the race a shot mid-season.

Leading up to Monday it was the long jump that West wanted to try.

He again made an impression, winning the title by more than a foot with his career-best jump.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised but that’s him, he said earlier in the week he thought he could jump 22 feet and he does it,” Craig said. “He did it with the 400 hurdles last year, he asked to do it and he went out and did it so where his ceiling is I’m not exactly sure.”

Primarily a 400 runner early in his career, West expects to again be a key component on West High relays running the 400.

With an eye on those races later in the season West opted for the 600 during the indoor season.

“He’s one of those guys that if he says he’s going to do something he does it and I love a kid like that,” Craig said. “He’ll say I’ll try the 600 knowing that it will help him in the end in the 400 hurdles.”

West won the MVC indoor title and some team bragging rights with his victory in the 600 on Monday.

He edged Luke Hilby of Dubuque Wahlert and teammate Jeff Garbutt by less than a second.

“It’s not a very fun event but I’ve had kind of a debate with Jeff (Garbutt) with who would win because I think he’d beat me handily in an 800 and I think I’d beat him in a 400 so it was kind of that middle ground and we’d been arguing about that for a while,” West said. “It was a close race and it was good to have him push me the whole way.”

During the indoor season West enjoys trying his hand at several events.

Once the outdoor season opens he is willing to do whatever needs to be done to help his team win meets.

“Early in the season that’s where you can be more flexible and you can try different things but towards the end it’s really what he puts you in as we gear up for a conference and state championship,” West said. “(Coach) definitely knows how to put together a good lineup so I’ll do whatever he asks.”