Saxony’s Hartmann makes leap of faith with SEMO track & field

Much like how he entered the sport, Saxony Lutheran senior Jonathan Hartmann is making a leap of faith with his college future by signing as a preferred walk-on with the Southeast Missouri State track & field team.

After completing his high school basketball career, Hartmann was encouraged by track head coach Max Wieser to join the team and compete in the high jump.

“Coach Wieser has been harping on me for a few years and I just decided a couple months ago to come out and give it a shot,” Hartmann said. “Turned out to be good for me.”

Hartmann joined seniors Joe Zoellner (Millikin University track and football), Evie Caruso (Missouri Southern State basketball), Luke Eggemeyer (Concordia University basketball) Owen Tarry, and David Weinhold (Westminster College baseball) during a joint signing day on Wednesday.

“It was fun,” Hartmann said. “It's a good look for Saxony. We got a good athletic program going on and we're all showing up for the school.“

Hartmann recently won the Class 2 District 1 championship in the high jump after clearing 6-04.75 on Saturday, May 4, in Scott City, Mo. The very next day, he toured the SEMO facilities and his decision was clear.

“It’s crazy,” Hartmann said. “It’s all happening so fast.”

Hartmann said he realized track and field could lead to a collegiate future after the first meet of the season at Notre Dame, where he cleared 6-04 for the first time.

“Wieser was telling me it was really good,” Hartmann said, “and then my dad went and looked at some collegiate stats and he was like, you got a shot.”

There’s a strong connection between Saxony Lutheran and the SEMO track program. Wieser is not only the head coach of the Crusaders but also a former SEMO runner and still helps out during Redhawks home meets. SEMO sophomore Anna Thompson, a Saxony Lutheran alum, won the women’s Ohio Valley Conference championship in the heptathlon on Friday.

“It was a good fit,” Hartmann said.

Hartmann basically parlayed four years of jump shots into a season in the high jump. Crusaders basketball coach Justin Callahan put him on a weightlifting program that was exclusively leg-oriented.

“He had me on a lifting program to raise my vertical and he’s clearly done a great job, just translated well,” Hartmann said. “It was all legs. I never had a single arm lift with Coach Callahan. We’d do weight work on Monday and Fridays and then we do plyo work on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

Hartmann joins a handful of Crusaders at the Class 2 Sectional 1 on Saturday at Park Hills, Mo. Casey Call won the district championship in the pole vault and finished third in the high jump. Rebecca Yunck (javelin), Raylee Matthews (long jump), and Abigail Haley (100m hurdles) each finished second place in districts. Haley also finished third in the 300m hurdles. Joseph Zoellner (discus), and Mark Richey (3,200m) finished third in districts. The Crusaders also sent all four women’s relays to the sectional meet.