Hetterley excels at the running game

MOOSE JAW — Greg Hetterley has changed his focus from the offensive line to the finish line.

Once football was out of his system, the O’Neill High School athlete decided to tackle running on a full-time basis. The results speak for themselves.

Hetterley won the junior boys 800-metre, 1,500m and 3,000m races at the Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association track and field championships, which were held Friday and Saturday at Gutheridge Field.

Not bad for a former centre.

“When I was little, I was kind of chubby, so I started off playing offensive line,’’ Hetterley recalled. “I wanted to play running back, like a lot of guys do. I wanted to run faster, so I ran distance.’’

Why not run sprints — which are closely aligned with the skills that are required for football — instead of distance?

“It wasn’t the most educated thing to do, but I was nine,’’ said a chuckling Hetterley, who is now educated to the tune of a 90-per-cent average in Grade 10.

Hetterley eventually sped up and slimmed down, to the point where he was moved to defensive back. In that capacity, he ended his Regina Minor Football career with a flourish, registering a last-second interception of a desperation pass to help the bantam Packers secure a city title in the fall of 2011. Since then, track and crosscountry have been his emphasis.

“Football is during crosscountry season, and crosscountry is my favourite sport,’’ Hetterley explained. “I can’t really afford to get hit in the legs anymore.’’

Especially since he no longer resembles an offensive lineman.

“Back when I was 10, I weighed 130 pounds or something,’’ the 16-year-old Hetterley said. “Now I’m just over 140. I’ve gained a foot of height, but virtually no weight.’’

Hetterley has also gained plenty of respect in track and cross-country circles. He has been invited to Saskatchewan’s team trials for the 2013 Canada Summer Games, which are to be held in Sherbrooke, Que., in August.

Looking much further down the road, Hetterley would like to run at the university level while working toward becoming a teacher.

“I just love going to school,’’ he said. “I love learning new things. I really like social studies and history, and finding out what happened to bring us to where we are now. I like problemsolving. I like a challenge.’’