Crusader on the run

Max Wieser, a four-sport athlete at Saxony Lutheran as a junior last year, was intrigued when his school added a soccer program to its fall sports schedule.

But because he hadn't played since the third grade, he decided to volunteer his services rather than go out for a starting position.

"I was the water boy," Wieser said. "Besides just getting water before games and practices, I would make sure everyone got the right amount of balls to do the warm-ups and stuff, and I kept the score book during the games."

However, Wieser became restless watching from the sideline, so he decided to become a five-sport athlete.

"It looked like it was so much fun being out there and playing," he said. "I thought even if I was really bad at it, it would still be fun."

Wieser is certainly a do-it-all kind of guy.

He competes in soccer and cross country during the fall, basketball during the winter and baseball and track during the spring. Not to mention he is the vice president of his senior class and plays the trombone.

And he has excelled in his different sports.

Despite his nine-year hiatus from soccer, he started in goal and had four shutouts in eight games. He has since moved to forward where he has scored two goals. And even though he'd never run competitively before high school, he has played an important role on the cross country team, helping the Crusaders capture Class 1 state titles in both his freshman and sophomore years.

Wieser and his cross country team run in the Class 1 District 1 meet today at Jackson City Park. He said he hopes to lead the Crusaders to a fifth straight district title and to finish first individually, although he said Oak Ridge's Garrett Light and his teammate Ross Gage are among the favorites for that top spot.

Wieser admitted that playing five sports -- and two sports during two of the three seasons -- does get tiring at times. He added that it has taken a toll on his body, but staying involved year round is enjoyable.

"Max is laid back as far as his outward personality goes, but he just seems to want to be involved," his father, Rick Wieser, said. "I admire the time he puts in and I'm amazed he's even able to squeeze a little school in every day. I don't know what he'll do if he gets to a point where he is not as involved and has some free time."

Family tradition

Wieser said his father was one of his major influences in introducing him to sports.

Rick was also a multisport athlete, playing four sports while growing up -- football, basketball, baseball and golf. He was a quarterback for two seasons at Southeast Missouri State and also a member of the 1976 Southeast baseball team that went to the College World Series.

He said he was never the type of father who pushed Max toward one sport, so Max did not take interest in the same sports he did.

"I let him go his own way, the fact that he's a pretty good athlete and he's able to do all these things," Rick Wieser said. "I guess it is kind of a refreshing thing for me to see him do these other sports that I didn't take as much interest as he does, speaking specifically track, cross country and soccer. I would always try to shun away from those things and it has given me a new appreciation for those sports. And it gives him a chance to teach me a few things."

Wieser said he has always been impressed his father played two sports in college.

"I don't know if I would be able to do two sports in college because that takes up a lot of time," Max Wieser said. "It's a lot to live up to.

"He has set the bar high if I'm going to try to live up to his name, but you would not hear him say that."

Strain of multiple sports

Wieser typically gets to school early and leaves late.

On days when Wieser has student council and other meetings before school, he arrives at school a little before 7 a.m. He usually does not get home until about 6:40 or 7 that night, after back-to-back practices in cross country then soccer.

Usually by that time, he said, his family has already eaten dinner. So he pulls a seat in front of the television, eats dinner and does homework all at the same time.

"Since he's been a freshman, he's never been home before 6 or 7 o'clock in the evening," Rick Wieser said. "It kind of amazes me that he's able to watch TV and get homework done at the same time."

Wieser said the strain of doing both sports is catching up to him because so much running is involved in cross country and soccer. He said the conditioning days in soccer feel like a second cross country workout.

He added that on days that he has a soccer game, he will cut back his cross country workout. When a meet comes after a few soccer games in a row, he's not always conditioned for the race.

"This cross country season that we're in right now, I've been most worn out," he said. "My back is sore pretty much all the time and my legs are kind of fatigued. It can get tiring to go through two sports at once."

Saxony soccer captain Alex Rodewald said: "[Wieser] said it's been tough on him a little bit, tough on his body and muscles. But I think he's doing good with it. He can run a whole lot longer than I can."

Passion for running

Wieser said his favorite sport is basketball, but his best sport is track.

He has been a member of the three 3,200 state championship relay teams and two 1,600 state championship relay teams.

Wieser is the only senior on the cross country team and Saxony Lutheran coach Larry Cleair said he has stepped up and taken a leadership role. He said Wieser understands the intensity of the workouts and sets an example for the younger members.

Wieser isn't the only cross country runner on the soccer team. There are seven runners that also play soccer team. Cleair said on days when there are no cross country practices because of soccer games, Wieser will take the runners out to work out anyway.

"He usually takes a group of kids and does a run for about an hour before soccer practice starts," he said. "Here is a chance for the guy to get a rest, but [he doesn[']t]."