Patton setting new standards
NEW WILMINGTON — Running, jumping or throwing. Indoor or outdoor. Earlham or Westminster College.
The event, time of year or school don’t seem to matter. Moniteau graduate Jake Patton breaks records and wins championships in track and field regardless.
“I only have one more year to do track and I want to milk every minute of it I can,” Patton said.
Who can blame him?
Patton is putting together a decorated career while battling cystic fibrosis, a congenital lung disease.
“I watch my diet closely,” he said. “I need two to three times more energy than the average person to compete. It takes me twice the energy to breathe. But running and staying in shape for track has helped me in that regard. So have the weight lifting and working out.
“That’s why I want to keep doing it. I’m sure I’ll continue running long after I’m through with track.”
Patton set school records at Earlham — a Division III school located in Terre Haute, Ind. — in the 60-meter hurdles and 4x200 relay during the indoor season at Earlham in 2020. The outdoor track season that spring was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. Patton had sights set on breaking more records there.
But in August of 2020, his father was killed in a farming accident.
“It happened the day before I was going to head back to Earlham,” Patton said. “I eventually went back, but decided I wanted to transfer to a school closer to home and still compete.
“My father always pushed me in a positive way. Every time I compete, I do it to honor him.”
Patton’s decision to transfer to Westminster College was an easy one. Dalton Anderson, a good friend of his during their high school years at Moniteau, was on the track team there. His former high school coach, Ryan Protzman, was the throwing coach for the Titans as well. He has since moved on to coach at Bucknell.
Patton, a chemistry major, has thrived at Westminster since arriving there.
He was named Presidents’ Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year for the 2021 spring season, winning the PAC title in the 110-meter hurdles and running a leg of the conference championship 4x100 meter relay. This past indoor season, Patton broke the Westminster record in the 60-meter hurdles and ranked 23rd nationally in the heptathlon — a combination of the 60 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump, 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000 meters.
“The cystic fibrosis and what Jake’s had to get through in life never comes up because he doesn’t bring it up,” Westminster track and field coach Tim McNeil said. “He’s never made an issue of it or brought attention to it.
“The guy just goes out there and wins.”
Patton was named PAC MVP for the indoor season, placing among the league’s top three in numerous events.
“I broke the school record in the heptathlon, but barely missed qualifying for nationals there,” he said. “That’s something I definitely want to do next season.”
“He was the last guy left out (of nationals) in the heptathlon,” McNeil said. “I know that’s gonna fuel him next year.”
Patton was named conference MVP this spring season as well, winning the 110-meter hurdles and helping the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay teams to PAC titles as well. The Titans’ 4x100 relay placed seventh at nationals and became All-Americans. At the PAC Championships, Patton also placed second in the pole vault, fourth in the javelin and triple jump, and was named Track MVP and Overall MVP of the meet.
“When Jake came to us, we could insert him pretty much anywhere,” McNeil said of Patton’s versatility. “He’s willing to do anything for the team. He got to nationals in the 400-meter hurdles. I know he’s gonna get back there.”
His goals are to do more than that.
“I wanted to get to nationals in the 400 hurdles this year. I want to place among the top five nationally in that event next year,” Patton said.
When his track career is over, Patton hopes to get into coaching, work schedule permitting.
“He’d be a great teacher,” McNeil said. “He knows so much about so many events. We’re blessed to have him.”
