THE BEAST INCARNATE

There’s only one way to describe Creston senior Jay Wolfe.

“He’s a beast,” said Creston head boys basketball coach Brett Watson.

Wolfe has excelled in cross country, basketball and track during his four years at Creston High School, as well as starting in the outfield as a freshman in baseball.

His success at the state level in all three of his major sports earned him Creston High School’s Outstanding Male Athlete award for 2015.

“It’s a great honor, because I’ve worked really hard in sports,” Wolfe said. “I thought it might be a shared (award), but I’m kind of surprised I got it outright.”

It’s hard to argue against Wolfe’s case, though.

The Panther senior will go down as one of the best basketball players in Creston history, as well as one of the top track and field athletes in school history. In addition, he was a two-time individual state qualifier in cross country, as well as being part of the first Creston boys team to qualify for state in 25 years.

Wolfe burst onto the scene as a freshman, when he finished third in Class 3A in the 800 meters and also anchored Creston’s first 4x800 relay team to make the state meet in 31 years.

That level of success as a freshman surprised even Wolfe.

“The level of competition in middle school is nothing compared to high school, so I didn’t expect to do as well as I did as a freshman and sophomore,” he said. “As my body and mind matured, it kind of made it easier. I just happened to find a lot of success as a freshman. Each year has been getting better.”

Wolfe followed up that stellar freshman track campaign by placing sixth in the 800 as a sophomore, before winning the Class 3A state championship in the event a year ago. In addition, he earned fifth-place medals as part of Creston’s 4x800 and 4x400 relay events last year.

Just two weeks ago, Wolfe won the Hawkeye 10 Conference championship in the 800 meters for the fourth straight year.

Later this week, he will run in three events at the 2015 Co-ed State Track Meet — competing in the 4x800 relay and the 800 meters for the fourth time in his career and in the 400 meter dash for the first time.

“When you look at what he’s got up on the (record) board, we’ve got the Mansours and the Vickers up there, Jay’s right up there with them,” Creston head track coach Schlapia said. “Any event in track and field he’s been in, he’s excelled at. There were some events we didn’t try him in in track, we figure he could have been just as good in those.”

Wolfe, the son of John and Lisa Wolfe, owns four school records in track and field — the 800 meters, and anchor legs on the school-record 4x400, 4x800 and distance medley relays.

It’s those four records he sees as his most impressive athletic achievement at Creston High School.

“When people look and see I’m going to college to play basketball, scoring 1,000 points in high school is impressive,” he said. “But I’d say the most impressive thing I’ve done is in track, breaking four school records and winning state, and being able to compete at a high level in the Drake Relays.”

Wolfe has run under the meet record in the Drake Relays 800 meters each of the past two seasons, only to finish second last year and third this year. But he owns the distinction of being the only athlete to break the 800-meter meet record at the Drake Relays twice.

“Here he’s been the only one ever at Drake to break that meet record in the 800 twice, finishing second last year and third this year,” Schlapia said. “But those two guys (this year) wouldn’t have broke that record if it wasn’t for Jay being right there pushing the pace.”

Basketball career

Even with all of the success he’s had throughout his four years in track and field, Wolfe’s first love is basketball.

It’s the game he’s chosen to continue playing at the collegiate level next year for NAIA Briar Cliff University.

His passion for basketball really came to life after a disappointing sophomore season.

“I knew we had a chance to be really good. You look, we had Luke Neitzel’s class and the class below them had a chance to be really good, and I knew I had a chance to contribute in basketball,” Wolfe said. “But then sophomore year kind of disappointed me, because I didn’t have the kind of year I wanted to have. That made me realize how much I loved it and really cared about it. I knew I was going to have to put in more work toward it.”

That’s exactly what Wolfe did. He hit the gym and the weight room, becoming bigger, faster and stronger, as well as a better shooter.

With his 6-4, 190-pound frame, he became a matchup nightmare for opposing teams in the Hawkeye 10 Conference with his ballhandling, rebounding and shooting skills.

There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do on the basketball court for the Panthers during his final two years.

“He just raised his game every single day,” Watson said. “He was consistent, not only on the practice floor, but in every game. I said before, he wasn’t a surprise to a lot of people around this area. For all the defensive emphasis teams put on him, he was still able to increase his numbers and do it at a consistent level every day.”

Wolfe finished his career with 1,000 points even, essentially reaching that mark in just two years after scoring only 91 points as a sophomore, and as a two-time all-stater, including earning first-team honors this year.

His 1,000 points ranks him seventh all-time in Creston basketball history.

“After sophomore year, I didn’t have that many points, so I knew I was going to have to have a big couple of years,” Wolfe said. “I really went to work during the summer and the fall in preparation for it. I kind of knew where I was at after junior year. I knew I was going to have to have a big-time senior season. But I knew it was possible.”

To see Wolfe finish his senior year averaging 22.7 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game surprised Watson, even though he expected his senior star to have a big year.

“It was spectacular. I wouldn’t have imagined before the year him putting up the type of numbers he did,” Watson said. “I envisioned him having a big year, but not as big a year as he had this year. That’s what teams thought, they’d come in and try to stop him, but I couldn’t tell you any team that did stop him. He saw everything thrown at him and he was able to adjust and make himself successful.”

Watson, who played college basketball himself, said Wolfe will have no problems translating his success to the collegiate level.

“I know he’s going to be very successful at the college level,” Watson said. “It’s going to be interesting now, when he just concentrates on one sport, how much he’s going to grow and become a better player.”

Finishing strong

Wolfe has already put his stamp on Creston High School history, but there’s still work to be done at this week’s Co-ed State Track Meet.

“Win another state track championship and re-break my record in the 800 and 4x800,” Wolfe said about his goals. “I’m hoping for a low 1:50s, maybe break 1:50. That’d be kind of sick. Break the state record. That’s a big-time goal, but might as well go after it.”

Schlapia knows there’s no limit to what Wolfe can accomplish this week. He’s excited to see what Wolfe saves for his grand finale during Saturday’s 800 meters.

“It’s going to be awesome to see up there at Drake Thursday and Saturday,” Schlapia said. “He’s going to leave it right out there on the blue. You just enjoy the moment. There’s still special things to come. In the book of Jay Wolfe, this is just another special chapter. He’s made his mark in Creston history. Those will be the ones you tell great stories about.”