Wayne State College head men's track and field coach Marlon Brink has announced that five student-athletes have signed letters of intent to attend Wayne State and continue their track and field careers with the Wildcats for the 2025-26 academic year.  The group includes Joseph Dewald of Sloan, Iowa, Bryce Faimon from Elkhorn, Tristan Harms of Ashland, Bryce Larsen from Waterloo and Matthew Richardson of Baxter, Iowa.
            Joseph Dewald is a hurdler/sprinter from Westwood High School in Iowa.  Last spring as a junior he placed third at the Iowa Class 1A State Track meet in the 400-meter hurdles in 54.40 seconds, was 12^th in the 400-meter dash (51.12) and anchored the sixth-place 800-meter sprint medley relay.  This season in football as a senior he earned All-District Second Team honors as the team's leading receiver with 18 catches for 388 yards and four TD's while also recording 25.5 tackles with six tackles for loss on defense. 
            "Joe is a guy who we believe can make an immediate impact on our team in both the long hurdles and the long sprints," remarked Coach Brink.  He is a great all-around athlete and very competitive.  He also has a family connection with both of his parents being WSC grads."
            Bryce Faimon is a jumper from Elkhorn South High School where he placed fourth in the Class A high jump last spring with a mark of 6' 2" while also finishing 11^th in the long jump (21' 1 ¾").  His personal best marks are 6' 5" in the high jump and 22' 4" in the long jump.  He is a three-year starter and letterwinner in track and field.
            "Bryce will be a dual threat in both the long jump and the high jump," said Brink.  His explosiveness will be critical to his success in both events.  He has done well at Elkhorn South and can hopefully continue that into his career at WSC."
            Tristan Harms is a sprinter from Ashland-Greenwood High School where he is a four-year letterwinner/starter in track and field.  Last spring as a junior he was a Class B state qualifier in two events – 100-meter dash and the 400-meter relay.  Harms was named to the All-Area Boys Track Team last spring as a junior and has personal bests of 10.99 in the 100-meter dash and 20' 8" in the long jump entering his senior season.
            "Tristan is hard worker, who is going to be able to help our sprint squad," Brink said.  He has gotten better each year, and we believe with a year-round training program will continue to progress at WSC."
            Bryce Larsen is a jumper from Douglas County West High School.  He is a four-year starter and letterwinner in track and field and earned the third-place medal in the Class B triple jump as a junior with a mark of 44' ¾" while also placing 16^th in the long jump (20' 1 ¼").  He was also a state qualifier in the triple jump as a sophomore.  His personal best marks are 22' 1" in the long jump and 45' 2" in the triple jump.
            "Bryce is a guy with a lot of experience in the jumps and has made steady progress throughout his high school career," stated Coach Brink.  We wanted to find someone who we think can compete well in the NSIC and feel like he has the potential to be able to do that."
            Matthew Richardson is a distance runner from Baxter High School in Iowa who will compete in cross country and track and field with the Wildcats.  He is a three-time Class 1A state qualifier in cross country and placed eighth last fall as a senior with a time of 16:29.2.  In track and field last spring as a junior Richardson was a state qualifier in the Class 1A 3200-meter run (10^th at 9:59.2) and the 1600-meter run (12^th – 4:34.40).  He has earned All-State honors in cross country and is a four-time All-Iowa Star South Conference selection.
             "Matt has made steady progress throughout his career in both cross country and track and field," commented Brink.  He will benefit from a larger team and increased competition in both practice and meets.  It will be exciting to see him continue his progress at the college level."
            Wayne State College is an NCAA Division II school located in Wayne, Nebraska and competes in the 15-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.