Senior Spotlight: Dressel learns from adversity on the track

Editor’s note: This article is part of a recurring series on local high school athletes who had their seasons cut short or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

SANDPOINT — If there’s one thing you can’t control as an athlete, it’s injuries, You can do everything possible to prevent one from occurring, but all it takes is one freak movement and your season is over or deeply affected.

That’s the case for Braedon Dressel who saw early season injuries derail his sophomore and junior years on the Sandpoint track team. Despite a hip flexor injury last season, Dressel was able to fight through the pain and make it to state on the 4x100 relay team, but he wasn’t at full strength.

Dressel spent this entire offseason rehabbing and working on his flexibility to become less susceptible to pesky injuries. Dressel entered the spring at 100 percent with a clear focus on capturing district titles in the 100 and 200. Unfortunately, he won’t get one last chance to show what he is capable of on the track.

“It was definitely a blow,” he said. “I trained so hard in the offseason and it kind of seems like it’s going all to waste. It just shows that nothing is guaranteed and you have to be prepared for the worst and whatever happens.”

When the news finally arrived that the season was canceled, all Dressel could think about was the lifelong memories he would be missing out on.

SHS sprints coach Tom Keener was looking for this year to be Dressel’s breakout season and he is upset he won’t be able to see the senior reach his full potential.

Throughout his time on the team, Keener was always someone Dressel looked to for encouragement when he was dealing with injuries.

“With all those injuries, I got really down on myself and he’s always been a really good motivator and kept me from quitting the team,” Dressel said.

Keener said Dressel came prepared every practice and when negative self-talk did creep in, he told Dressel he needed to keep a positive attitude not just for him, but for his teammates who looked to the sprinter as a leader. And Dressel always stepped up to the plate and did just that.

One attribute that has become attached to Dressel over the course of his career as an athlete is his work ethic. Coaches praise him for it and part of that drive and determination to never be satisfied might have come from his time in Steven Miller’s strength and conditioning class at SHS.

Miller coached wrestling, track and football for 27 years and Dressel was in his class for three years. Miller said Dressel loved being in the weight room and he didn’t just go through the motions, he pushed himself to get faster and stronger. Miller said that not all athletes are wired like that.

When Dressel joined the strength and conditioning class, Miller could see the potential he had as a sprinter so he encouraged Dressel to join the track team. As a sophomore, Dressel finally decided to take that advice and Keener was excited when he started working with him because he saw a lot of raw talent.

Dressel played soccer for the Bulldogs all four years of his high school career and Keener said he’s always had a hard time convincing soccer players to come out for track because club coaches encourage them to play the sport year round. But he was able to recruit Dressel who was all in from the moment he joined the team.

“He was there every day and if he wasn’t, he had a darn good reason and he’d let you know about it,” Keener said. “As a coach, that speaks volumes to his character.”

Keener said Dressel never complained and was always willing to fill in wherever the team needed him. Dressel had a chance to be a factor at regionals in the 100, 200, 400, and 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams.

“Sometimes I have trouble getting sprinters to run those long races because it’s a little uncomfortable at the end and they get tired, but never him,” Keener said about Dressel. “He said, ‘no the 200 is my race.’”

Despite having his final season taken away, Dressel is lifting and working on his sprints like the district championships were still scheduled for May 7-8.

Dressel’s favorite high school memory happened about six months ago on Pine Street Field in a 4A Region 1 loser-out game. Dressel scored the game winning goal for Sandpoint soccer in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Lakeland. It’s a memory he’ll never forget.

“I’ve never had a feeling like that before,” he said. “There’s just something about when you have a good moment like that and everybody’s just focused on you.”

Dressel isn’t exactly set on what he wants to do after high school, but right now he is looking at attending a trade school for heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

He said he is so glad he decided to join the track team because it made him more outgoing.

Dressel learned a lot from the injuries he battled during his career including patience. It also made him realize that fighting through adversity only makes you stronger. That mindset is what makes Dressel unique, Miller said.

“It just shows the determination and the work ethic he has to be successful,” Miller said. “It’s real easy when you get hurt to just go, ‘oh I got hurt, it’s over with,’ and not keep working.”

In his own words: Braedon Dressel

"I played soccer all of my life and it’s been my go-to sport, until my sophomore year when I decided to try track and it soon became my favorite sport. I’ve always been fast so it didn’t take long to get noticed, and I stood out, unlike when I played soccer. I’m going to miss the 4x100 relay the most, and always messing around with my friends at the meets. I want to give a shoutout to my boy Braden Kappen for making practices and meets so fun. If he didn’t run track I definitely wouldn’t have either because the way we competed with each other was like none other. It was fun while it lasted for sure."