If you go to a track meet that Reeds Spring is at you’ll notice they have quite the unique athlete.
Caden Wiest is much larger, yet faster than most of his competitors.
When you think Caden Wiest, you probably think football.
“He’s great at blocking and when he gets the ball it’s hard to take him down,” Caden’s teammate James Dowdy said.
Caden is a 1st team All-State tight end with offers to play division one football.
“My main goal is to go play D-I right now and hopefully go play pro football,” said Caden.
In the Spring, Caden hits the track and is hard to miss.
“Kids from other schools once they see someone that big moving that fast, they notice,” Reeds Spring track coach Andy McFarland said.
Caden runs the 200-meter dash in 23 seconds, an impressive time at 6’4” 250 pounds.
At his size, he’s state-ranked in the shot put, while also running in the 4×100, 4×200, and 200-meter-dash.
“He’s head and shoulders taller, but he’s also 2-3 times wider than everybody else,” McFarland said.
“Right when he gets the baton, he could be behind and still smoke everybody,” Dowdy added.
Being bigger, and faster, is no foreign feeling for Caden.
“I’ve always been one of the bigger guys, my speed didn’t come in until about middle school,” said Caden.
No one sees that size and speed up close quick like James Dowdy, who gets the baton from Caden in 4×100.
“At first it was pretty scary, I’ve gotten used to it but at first it was pretty scary,” Dowdy said.
Caden knows he’s a big guy but he says he plans to get even bigger.
“I’m trying to put on a little more muscle, that’s always a goal,” Caden said.
It’s a plan to help his game on the gridiron just like how track has helped.
“Doing these sprints is good for open-field situations, being able to pull away from defenders a lot more. Football is a big part of my athleticism so coming out here is best of both worlds,” said Caden.
Coach Mcfarland says he’s focused on enjoying Caden’s unique talent.
“I’ve coached some special guys over the years but it’s not something you see all the time. It’s every five to ten years you see something like that,” said McFarland.
