Despite hamstring injury, Kalinay pushes toward big goal

by Matt Lash, Sports Reporter

INDIANOLA, Iowa — From high school standout to college stud, junior Dylan Kalinay has what it takes to achieve greatness. Holding multiple records at South Tama County High School, Kalinay continued his success on the track when he chose to attend Simpson College.

In the first three years of his collegiate career, Kalinay has posted multiple races in the top five in Simpson history. From hurdles and sprints to the 4×200-meter relay, Kalinay has proven himself valuable to the success of the Storm track and field team.

Kalinay has shown his offseason dedication as he has been named Iowa Conference Performer of the Week twice during the 2016-17 campaign. As the season progresses, Kalinay hopes to continue running faster and getting stronger.

“Having great teammates helps a lot,” Kalinay said. “We have a young team but that helps when practice comes around and we all have partners for lifting and helping each other get better.”

Although he attributes a lot of his success to his teammates and their motivation, Kalinay said he worked more over the offseason than in the past.

“I put in a lot of time over winter break to make myself better,” Kalinay said. “I’d say I put in much more time during the offseason and so far, it’s paying off.”

Last week, Kalinay ran the 60-meter hurdles in 8.24 seconds to edge Wichita State’s Tyler Knight. The time is at the top of the IIAC and ranks 10th in Division III.

Kalinay isn’t all about himself and his own success, however. One of his biggest hopes is that the team wins big at the IIAC meet at the end of the season and is able to compete in the NCAA Division III Championship. Personally, Kalinay has his eyes set on a top three performance of his own at the Division III Championship meet.

Like most athletes, Kalinay has faced his share of injuries during his career. He is pushing through a hamstring injury that has plagued him, to some extent, for the better part of a year. One of his biggest sources of motivation is his teammate, Emmitt Wheatley.

“Emmitt is the hardest worker on the team and his success shows it,” Kalinay said. “He is so incredibly passionate, and you can tell because he gets discouraged when he doesn’t perform to his own expectations.”

When he is on the track, Kalinay is chasing records and winning races. But when he is not running, Kalinay is just another college guy who likes video games and hanging out with his roommates.

The Storm will run in Grinnell and Pella in the next two weeks and will finish the indoor season with the IIAC Championship meet at the end of February in Dubuque.