Cal Wisniewski flying under the radar for Chesterton track team, and we do mean flying

Tom Keegan
Onwardtrojans.com

On many high school track teams, the spotlight would stay trained on an athlete who gets around the track as swiftly as Chesterton junior Cal Wisniewski does, but surrounded by so much talent, the best Wisniewski can do is run just fast enough to stay one step behind the glow.
And that’s just fine with Wisniewski, a key glue guy for the Trojans’ track and field team. A versatile performer, he has a strong chance to make it to state running on two relays and is a longshot to make it as a hurdler.
Along the way, he’ll pile up points for his school at dual meets, and at the conference and sectional meets.
Wisniewski becomes better by competing in practice against even faster runners. For example, whatever race Wisniewski runs, Nate “The Great” Vaughan runs it a little faster.
They both have the speed and strength to run any race from the 100 meters through the 400. Both know how to scale hurdles as well, posting fast times in the 110 high and 300 intermediate races. Vaughan also is a long jumper.
Rules prohibit athletes from participating in more than four events per meet. Wisniewski usually runs in both hurdles races, as well as the third leg of the 4x100 relay and the second leg of the 4x400 relay.
Vaughan’s playlist typically features the 100, 200, long jump and either the 4x1 or 4x4. He’s easier to replace on the 4x4 than the 4x1, so he usually runs the latter.
The top three finishers at the regional meet advance to state.
At the moment, Chesterton’s 4x400 relay ranks first in the region with Aaron Resto, Wisniewski, Kieran Barnewall and Louis Raffin running a 3:22.21. As long as they’re healthy in the postseason, Vaughan won’t be needed there.
Chesterton’s 4x100 relay ranks third in the region with Moore, Devin Throw, Wisniewski and Vaughan running a 42.52. Only Merrillville (42.19) and Hammond Morton (42.46) have run faster.
“If we clean up our handoffs, I bet we can be No. 1,” Wisniewski said. “Nate and I are new to this. We hadn’t run the 4x1 before.”
Note the common denominator in those two relay teams: Wisniewski.
“Cal has always been the guy who has kind of flown under the radar,” head coach Bryan Nallenweg said. “The attention is on Kieran and Nate, and even Aaron and Louis, and Cal just flies under the radar.”
And make no mistake, Wisniewski does fly. Viewed as more of a full-lap-around-the-track guy in past years, he has showcased explosive speed this year running the curve on the 4x100 relay after taking the baton from Throw and handing it to Vaughan.
“It’s my first year doing it, but I kind of love it,” Wisniewski said of the 4x100. “I think I’m faster than people think, you know, because I’m always hurdling.”
The 4x400 is the last race of a meet and running once around the track is considered one of the most grueling races because of the way the almost all-out sprint attacks the body of the runner. Yet, ask Wisniewski his favorite race and he’ll say, “I think maybe the 4x4. I know not a lot of people like it, but when it’s competitive, it’s the most fun race with everyone watching you and cheering you on.”
Wisniewski had his best meet Tuesday at Merrillville, competing against the Pirates and Portage. He ran personal bests in the 110 hurdles (15.56, ninth-fastest among runners in Chesterton’s region) and 300 hurdles (40.67, eighth-fastest).
Those are impressive times and signs of his progress, but not enough to shift the spotlight onto him because of what teammates did at the same meet.
Barnewall broke his own school record and the 14-second barrier with a 13.99 in the 110 high hurdles. Raffin ran his best 400, a 49.63. Vaughan posted personal bests in the 100 (10.81), 200 (21.96) and long jump (22-5.5).
“I’m a little shorter for a hurdler. I’m 5-10,” Wisniewski said, explaining why he has had a little more consistent success in the longer hurdles race, which has shorter barriers to clear. “I think if I fix my form I’ll be up there, in the 14s at least.”
He has even more ambitious goals in the 300 hurdles.
“That’s been the fun one,” he said. “We push each other all year. It’s always good. He obviously pushes past me a little bit the last 100, but it’s a good race the first 200.”
Wisniewski’s ranks his dark-horse candidacy for reaching state in the 300 hurdles than in the 110s.
“I think I can get to state if I can clean up my race and stop stuttering, I think I can make it. I’m right with Kieran and start stuttering at the curve and that kills all my speed,” he said. “If I clean that up, I’m looking at a 39 or 38.”
Runners tend to leave off the numbers after the decimal point when talking about goals.
Barnewall set the school record with a 38.78 last season and ran his best 2025 time, 39.28, Tuesday.
If Wisniewski somehow improves enough to break into the 39s, look for Barnewall to run in the 38s in the same race. If Wisniewski cracks into the 38s, look for Barnewall to break into the 37s.
That’ll be OK with Wisniewski. He’s not running for the spotlight. He’s running for the Trojans.