Oliver Bradwell: Historically Fast

Historically fast.

That is the only way to describe Oliver Bradwell, formerly of Wichita East. Bradwell has been tearing up both the high school and college track circuits since last winter, but it was not always this way.

Just a little over a year ago Oliver Bradwell was an unknown, junior varsity sprinter for the East Aces. Then came the Goddard Junior Varisty Invitational and Maize Junior Varsity Invitational where Bradwell busted times of 11.09 and 11.16 respectively in the 100-meter dashes.

One week later he was a varsity sprinter, and by May 15 of 2009 he was the Greater Wichita Athletic League 100 and 200-meter dash champion. He won the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.60. That time put him as one of the favorites going into the regional and state meets.

Bradwell took the top preliminary time into the 100, but ended up finishing third with a time of 11.00. The East star also settled for third in the 200.

In the Fall, Bradwell tried his hand at soccer for the Aces and garnered First-Team All-State honors. Soccer was never going to be Bradwell’s sole focus as he hit the indoor track circuit and showed just a glimpse of what was about to come.

At the University of Kansas Jayhawk Classic on January 29, Bradwell ran the 14th best indoor 200-meter dash time in the nation for a high school athlete with a time of 21.84. A month later he ran the 12th fastest 60-meter dash time at 6.85 at the Missouri All Comers meet.

Then it was time for outdoor. Bradwell was not allowed to compete for a KSHSAA school, but that did not deter him as he continued to train.

The former East High sprinter ran Open/College meets winning the Friends University 100 and 200-meter dashes. He also placed 4th in the college division of both the 100 and 200 of the Kansas Relays.

All of this was insignificant compared to what Bradwell was about to do.

His local team went down to the Great Southwest Classic and Bradwell left his mark on the Kansas record books in the process.

Bradwell ripped a wind legal 100-meter dash time of 10.34 to win the big regional meet featuring kids from all over the Southwest. That 10.34 was the fastest time ever run by a Kansas High School athlete. The time still counts in the record books because it was done immediately after his last year of high school.

That time was also the fastest 100-meter dash time recorded in the entire nation this year. Kansas had the fastest athlete in the nation, and many did not even know about it.

Kansas has been home to many world record holders including Maurice Green. Bradwell’s 10.34 Fully Automatic Time is faster than Green’s converted 10.43. The star sprinter also ran the third fastest 200-meter time in Kansas history at the Great Southwest meet with a time of 20.99 and ran on the champion 400-meter relay team.

Bradwell earned the Male Track Athlete of the Meet honor for his efforts, but he was not done yet.

At the Junior National Meet in Des Moines, Iowa on June 24 he finished fourth place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.54 into a slight headwind. The next day on June 25th he ran a time of 21.18 to win the 200-meter dash and qualify for the Junior World Track Meet later this month in Canada.

Bradwell’s plan is to attend Barton County Community College this next school year and run track there.

CatchItKansas.com and KWCH Eyewitness Sports attempted to contact Oliver Bradwell for this story. Bradwell agreed to an interview, but further requests to do the actual interview were refused and blocked by Bradwell’s Coach of Team Wichita Track Club John Thompson.