PULASKI (NBC 26) — Keaton Dauk is building off a breakout season that ended with a state runner-up finish in the 300-meter hurdles.
The Pulaski junior has continued that momentum this spring, breaking his own school record twice in just one week.
“He's a special athlete," Pulaski Head Coach Rick Kamps said. "As a head coach, you realize you get those special kind of athletes maybe once in your life."
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Dauk quickly found success in hurdling.
“Hurdling, it just, it came pretty natural to me and then I kept building my skills and I just found out that it was something I was really talented with and decided to see where I could take it,” Dauk said.
His confidence took a major jump after last year’s state meet, where Dauk entered finals ranked seventh but finished second.
“My performance at state gave me a completely different mindset that I am competing now with the best of the best and I deserve to be there so I think every time I step on the track now I'm there to win,” Dauk said.
That mindset has carried into every race — including events he had never run before.
“I said to him, ‘how about running the open 200,’ and he had never run the open 200. Broke the school record that night, first time running it,” Kamps said.
Dauk now holds school records in the 200-meter dash, 300-meter hurdles and 110-meter hurdles.
“In fact, we’ve started joking about it. ‘Oh, Keaton’s running the 800? He’ll break the school record,’” Kamps said.
Assistant hurdles coach Nate Drummond said Dauk’s success comes from a combination of athletic ability and preparation.
“I think he has like the top grade point average in his class or something, so, you know, mentally he's very sharp. Physically he works hard in the offseason too to be strong and powerful,” Drummond said.
With continued success this season, Dauk has his sights set on the top of the podium at the WIAA state meet.
“That's kind of my ultimate goal,” Dauk said.
