Bednarek Goes From HS To Diamond League In A Year

By Todd Grasley for DyeStat

From Rice Lake, Wis., to to Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, and now to track and field meets in Northern Africa and Europe, it has been a whirlwind journey for Kenny Bednarek.

Bednarek knew he was talented when his coach told his mom that he was something special as a ninth grader. He went to the Wisconsin state meet and lost to Colin Hofaker in both the 200- and 400-meter finals and came in sixth in the 100.

Bednarek didn't see himself as special. He just loved to run.

As a sophomore, he captured titles in both the 200 and 400 at the state meet and would go on to win a total of seven individual championships in his high school career. When the season was over, he attended an all-star meet. 

“I was really happy with my finish as most of those kids were from areas where they were able to be outdoors training for considerably longer,” he said. “I was introduced as coming from the frozen tundra of Wisconsin. My mom thought that was a hoot!”

Figuring Out Freshman Year

A highly sought recruit, Bednarek initially signed with the University of Oregon. Bednarek calls the process a wild ride and very exciting, but in the end, it didn’t pan out. He wasn’t academically eligible and had to take the JUCO route. 

“I signed with Indian Hills because at the time it was the best fit in terms of academics and ability to train and run,” he explained.

The first few months in Iowa were a success. Bednarek not only excelled on the track but in the classroom as well. Adversity came in the way of several coaching changes, which he said negatively affected his training. 

“If it wasn’t for my teammates, things might have turned out a different way,” he noted. “Without their support, my year-ending performance might not have been.”

Indoor nationals was supposed to be his coming out party. He won both of his prelims and captured gold in the 400 meters, but didn’t have enough time to rest before the 200. As a result, he cramped up and didn’t finish the race. When his mom didn’t see him come around the corner she feared he was injured.

“She was in tears by the time I found her,” he said. “I didn’t have time to think about winning my first national title as a winter storm was on the way in and we were told to pick up our medals on the way out of the track facility.”

Without the double, Bednarek had something to prove, not just to himself, but also to the family members that supported him along the way. 

Bednarek won the NJCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships in the 200 and 400 this spring. His 200-meter time of 19.82 was the second-fastest by an American at the time, and second in the world behind Divine Oduduru’s 19.76, and the third-fastest ever by a collegiate athlete. He ran a blistering wind-aided time of 19.49 in the prelims. In the 400, his 44.73 was the ninth-fastest performance of the year.

Introduction To Diamond League

This summer, Bednarek is getting his first experience with professional-level track and field on the Diamond League circuit. He debuted at the Rabat Diamond League meeting in the 200-meter dash, taking fourth with a time of 20.51. Not only was it his first time in another country (Morocco), but he also had some travel hiccups along the way.

“I didn’t have my warmup clothes,” he said. “I had to wear the same clothes for two days until I was able to buy some clothes. The airport lost them. It was an awesome experience besides not getting my luggage.”

Bednarek was disappointed with the time, but notes he is just getting back into the swing of things.

“I definitely see myself going at least 19.6 or lower,” he said. “I’ve been doing great in the event and produced fast times without competition. I’ve been running by myself since the beginning of college. Plus I’ve only had a 130-meter track to work with most of the college season. So there’s only so much you can do with that.”

Both the travel and the competition are new for the sprint star, and a big step up from what he has seen before. 

“Hell yes, I was nervous!” Bednarek said. “I wanted to PR in Rabat, but it doesn’t work like that. It’s kind of like, 'Wow I’m really lining up against these guys.' They have accomplished a lot so far and will still continue to build up their resume. It just makes me realize that I’m just as good, or even better than them.”

Bednarek was on his way from Morocco to Ostrava, Czech Republic where he will compete Thursday at the Ostrava Golden Spike event. The meet will also mark the first time he’s competed in the 400 meters since JUCO nationals. 

“I just want to win and run a good time,” he said. “I’m not really trying to pressure myself to run something amazing. I’m just going to run whatever my training has set me up to run.”

After Ostrava, Bednarek will head back to the states and get in a couple of 100-meter races for practice purposes. The goal will be the 200-meter dash at the USATF Outdoor Championships at the end of July.

For Bednarek, it's been the wildest year of his life.

“I never expected this year to come out like this,” he said. “I knew I had 100 percent confidence that I was able to get at the level I’m at now, but I thought that the progression was going to be slow and easy.”