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After surgery, Project's Walter looking for state title
By GREG RACHAC
Of The Gazette Staff
WORDEN -Last Saturday, the unthinkable happened to Huntley Project standout Jennifer Walter.
She didn't win the 100-meter dash.
It's true. At the Billings Invitational on the MetraPark track, Billings West's Lauryn McKay and Livingston's Olivia Rider crossed the finish line ahead of Walter in what would mark the first time the Red Devils' stalwart didn't win that particular event.
"First time I'd ever lost the 100 in my life," said Walter, a three-time State B 100-meter champion. "I was pretty disappointed." Naturally.
Walter, a senior, is never one to make excuses, so we'll do it for her. She was - and still is - recovering from surgery on her leg that forced her to sit out the basketball season.
After Walter was kicked in the shin from the other side of the net during a Big Sky State Games volleyball match last summer, doctors found a fracture that eventually - after battling through the volleyball season - resulted in surgery. And now, a seven-inch scar graces her right shin, where doctors implanted a bone graft from below her knee underneath a metal plate and six screws.
Understandably, Walter is off to somewhat of a slow start (by her standards) this spring.
"I didn't go in with too much confidence," she said of last week's 100-meter run. "I was hurting already before the race, but I was still pretty surprised. Nothing went right for me in that race. I got out of the blocks slow, and I wasn't pulling on my legs. They just wouldn't move."
Regardless of what's happened to Walter this year, she has unquestionably been one of the top female athletes in Montana for her entire high school career, be it in volleyball, basketball or track and field.
Her coaches have been convinced of her abilities from Day 1.
"With Jen, she's such a good kid, and she has that drive and determination," said Project volleyball coach Iona Stookey. "When she steps onto the court or the field, it's all about business. She's the hardest working kid. She just has that attitude to succeed. It puts her in a class by herself."
"There are a lot of adjectives to describe her," added track coach Jim Benn. "Work ethic. Good leader. Tons of speed. Everything translates over to the events that she participates in. But the biggest thing is how hard she works. She's got a lot of talent. Very few have that talent. But she has the work ethic to match it."
The injury she is battling is something Walter has never really experienced.
The same night she was accidentally kicked in the leg playing volleyball, Walter was playing basketball when she realized something wasn't quite in order.
Even though the injury occurred in July, Walter didn't find out what the problem was until December. She spent the summer practicing with the injury and spent the fall helping Huntley Project to its third State B volleyball title in four years while playing through the pain as an all-state setter.
She was named MVP of the state tournament, by the way. Clearly, nothing could keep Walter off the court.
"Before practice and before every game I'd have to take something to make the inflammation go down," Walter said. "That's the only way I could play. Other than that, I had a hard time jumping. We knew something was wrong, but I could still play through the pain."
Missing the basketball season wasn't something Walter had planned for her senior year but it was something she had to do.
"I was on crutches through December and January, so I couldn't really do much," said Walter, who is headed the University of Montana on a track scholarship. "I rode a (stationary) bike and I swam a lot. That's all I could do, because I couldn't put any weight on (the leg)."
Walter is third in a line of siblings - behind brother Randy and sister Bethany - that have been superb athletes at Huntley Project.
Recently, she added to her own legacy by grabbing another accolade. Walter was named the national female athlete of the year for Bigger, Faster, Stronger - a national weight training program.
Project wrestling coach Mark Wandle, who runs the weight room at the school, nominated Walter, and she ended up winning.
"That was pretty cool," Walter said. "People were nominated from all around the U.S."
As a 16-time state champion - three volleyball titles, two team track titles, and 11 individual top finishes in the 100, 200, 400, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and the short relay - you'd be hard pressed to find more of a well-rounded athlete.
And now that she's nearly back at 100 percent, Walter is hoping to pick up where she's left off.
"My goal is to get back to where I was last year, and even more than that," she said. "I know I have the injury, but I know I can be just as good as I was, and maybe better."
And make that loss in the 100 a distant memory.
By GREG RACHAC
Of The Gazette Staff
WORDEN -Last Saturday, the unthinkable happened to Huntley Project standout Jennifer Walter.
She didn't win the 100-meter dash.
It's true. At the Billings Invitational on the MetraPark track, Billings West's Lauryn McKay and Livingston's Olivia Rider crossed the finish line ahead of Walter in what would mark the first time the Red Devils' stalwart didn't win that particular event.
"First time I'd ever lost the 100 in my life," said Walter, a three-time State B 100-meter champion. "I was pretty disappointed." Naturally.
Walter, a senior, is never one to make excuses, so we'll do it for her. She was - and still is - recovering from surgery on her leg that forced her to sit out the basketball season.
After Walter was kicked in the shin from the other side of the net during a Big Sky State Games volleyball match last summer, doctors found a fracture that eventually - after battling through the volleyball season - resulted in surgery. And now, a seven-inch scar graces her right shin, where doctors implanted a bone graft from below her knee underneath a metal plate and six screws.
Understandably, Walter is off to somewhat of a slow start (by her standards) this spring.
"I didn't go in with too much confidence," she said of last week's 100-meter run. "I was hurting already before the race, but I was still pretty surprised. Nothing went right for me in that race. I got out of the blocks slow, and I wasn't pulling on my legs. They just wouldn't move."
Regardless of what's happened to Walter this year, she has unquestionably been one of the top female athletes in Montana for her entire high school career, be it in volleyball, basketball or track and field.
Her coaches have been convinced of her abilities from Day 1.
"With Jen, she's such a good kid, and she has that drive and determination," said Project volleyball coach Iona Stookey. "When she steps onto the court or the field, it's all about business. She's the hardest working kid. She just has that attitude to succeed. It puts her in a class by herself."
"There are a lot of adjectives to describe her," added track coach Jim Benn. "Work ethic. Good leader. Tons of speed. Everything translates over to the events that she participates in. But the biggest thing is how hard she works. She's got a lot of talent. Very few have that talent. But she has the work ethic to match it."
The injury she is battling is something Walter has never really experienced.
The same night she was accidentally kicked in the leg playing volleyball, Walter was playing basketball when she realized something wasn't quite in order.
Even though the injury occurred in July, Walter didn't find out what the problem was until December. She spent the summer practicing with the injury and spent the fall helping Huntley Project to its third State B volleyball title in four years while playing through the pain as an all-state setter.
She was named MVP of the state tournament, by the way. Clearly, nothing could keep Walter off the court.
"Before practice and before every game I'd have to take something to make the inflammation go down," Walter said. "That's the only way I could play. Other than that, I had a hard time jumping. We knew something was wrong, but I could still play through the pain."
Missing the basketball season wasn't something Walter had planned for her senior year but it was something she had to do.
"I was on crutches through December and January, so I couldn't really do much," said Walter, who is headed the University of Montana on a track scholarship. "I rode a (stationary) bike and I swam a lot. That's all I could do, because I couldn't put any weight on (the leg)."
Walter is third in a line of siblings - behind brother Randy and sister Bethany - that have been superb athletes at Huntley Project.
Recently, she added to her own legacy by grabbing another accolade. Walter was named the national female athlete of the year for Bigger, Faster, Stronger - a national weight training program.
Project wrestling coach Mark Wandle, who runs the weight room at the school, nominated Walter, and she ended up winning.
"That was pretty cool," Walter said. "People were nominated from all around the U.S."
As a 16-time state champion - three volleyball titles, two team track titles, and 11 individual top finishes in the 100, 200, 400, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and the short relay - you'd be hard pressed to find more of a well-rounded athlete.
And now that she's nearly back at 100 percent, Walter is hoping to pick up where she's left off.
"My goal is to get back to where I was last year, and even more than that," she said. "I know I have the injury, but I know I can be just as good as I was, and maybe better."
And make that loss in the 100 a distant memory.
