Two of Yelm’s successful track athletes, Tatiyanna Wadley and Breanna Hurajt, are set to attend Eastern Washington University in September where they’ll compete for the school’s track and field program.
Hurajt signed to continue her athletic career at EWU on June 7 in a ceremony at Yelm High School, while Wadley signed on June 14 in a separate ceremony.
Wadley will compete in the hammer competition during the outdoor season and the shot put and discus year round. She’ll also compete in weight throw during the indoor season to continue preparing for the outdoor hammer competition.
“I’ve put in a lot of hard work by staying after practice and practicing other events like hammer,” Wadley said. “I was able to go to meets and compete against college athletes, and I felt like that helped me get an idea of what to expect in college. My teammates also really pushed me to keep going and pursuing a college opportunity.”
Wadley said she visited several other schools, but ultimately EWU felt like the right fit for her.
“During my visit back in the spring, I got to meet the coach, and she was so nice,” Wadley said. The team’s dynamics felt like a family, and that’s what I was looking for. I loved it there.”
Before she gets to Eastern in mid-September, Wadley said she’s been actively preparing to compete through the athletic program’s summer workout list and routine. Her efforts are also to prepare her for the team’s intensive first week of training.
“The first week of practice is called ‘death week’ because you never know who worked out throughout the summer and who didn’t,” she said. “They push us our hardest, and we’ll be pushing and grinding the entire time. I’m super excited to get out there.”
The aspiring middle school teacher will study teaching and middle school education while attending the university. Wadley currently serves as a camp counselor at Cispus Leadership camp.
“Just teaching those kids and being at camp with them showed me that I really want to pursue teaching, especially in middle school,” Wadley said. “When I was in middle school, I had an awesome teacher that was always there for me and other kids, too. That inspired me because I want to be that teacher for other kids.”
Wadley, who aims to grow her marks and become a “better athlete all around” while at Eastern, said she’s excited to continue both her schooling and athletics with her teammate Hurajt.
“Bre has always been one of my favorite track athletes, especially at Yelm,” Wadley said. “She’s always supported me to be my best, and I’m thankful to have her there with me in college. I know she’ll be there for me at Eastern, and I’ll be there for her,” Wadley said. “It shows something too that we’re both coming from the same town. Yelm is going places.”
Hurajt, like Wadley, was proud of the work they put in to become college athletes.
“I’m proud of the both of us, and it means everything to me,” Hurajt said. “Tati is someone who can dominate the room she is in, not in a bad way, but in a way where she can be a very important asset to the team coming in. She’s someone who is willing to learn and grow into what an environment needs. I’m excited to have someone I know with me by my side. I’m excited to continue our path together.”
The YHS graduate began competing in track when she was 8 years old and fell in love with the sport. She described track and field as a sport where an athlete is continuously learning, no matter their ability or experience. She described that as one of the reasons she loves competing in the sport.
“I have definitely learned a lot of new things within the last four years in the track realm,” Hurajt said. “I just learned how to hurdle my senior year. I learned how to long jump at the end of my sophomore year, and I’ve put in the work every single day to get better. One thing about track is every event is different in its own way, and I just learned how to do my main events in these last couple of years.”
Hurajt will compete for the Eagles in several different competitions, including the long jump, throwing the javelin and running 60-meter hurdles.
“I actually didn’t decide if I wanted to continue track. I never saw it as a possibility for me. I eventually started hurdling and that’s what made me want to continue my track career,” Hurajt said. “I reached out to the coaches [at EWU] because I’ve always wanted to go there because of their physical therapy and exercise science program. I reached out, and it opened a door I didn’t think I had.”
Hurajt added that she’s the first person in her family to attend college, which she describes as a scary feeling.
“I’m kind of walking into a door that nobody in my family has gone through before,” Hurajt said. “I get to set a new path for myself and my family. I broke a barrier that little me thought I never would be able to accomplish. All my setbacks, my hardships and my grit turned me into the person I am.”
Academically, Hurajt has already completed two years of college through the Running Start program and graduated with a pre-nursing degree with an associates of science. She plans to finish her bachelors degree in exercise science during her first two years at the university, before applying to EWU’s physical therapy school. Her ultimate goal is to become a physical therapist.
As an athlete, Hurajt wants to continue growing her javelin skills and technique.
“I want to become a very predominant javelin thrower. I want to work on that skill, as it’s very new to me,” Hurajt said. “I want to gain upper-body strength. I also want to hit 17’5” in my long jump. I love track so much. It’s an easy sport to join. I know that because I’ve moved so much.”
As an EWU student and athlete, Hurajt said she will continue to be passionate about athletes’ physical and mental health.
“I want everyone to know that even though athletics looks fun, there’s a hardship that goes into being an athlete,” Hurajt said. “I experienced some physical and mental blocks during my senior year, and a lot of athletes do, too. A lot of these athletes are in athletics their whole life, and it’s the one thing that keeps a lot of people going, especially through sports.”
