Some Days You Just Can’t Win : But Brilliant Walnut Runner Scott Hempel Hasn’t Had Many of Those

Since he first competed in track as a freshman, Scott Hempel of Walnut High has been one of the best distance runners in the CIF Southern Section.

That’s why the Southern Section finals were so frustrating for Hempel last year.

The 17-year-old junior had an inkling that it was not going to be his day when he left his track shoes at home.

“It was just a real bad day for me all-around,” Hempel recalled. “First I forgot my spikes, and then I had to wait four or five hours to race.”

Once race time arrived for the 3,200-meter run, Hempel probably wished it hadn’t. He wound up finishing sixth with a time of 9:38.95 in the 2-A Division finals and did not qualify for state competition. Not bad for most runners, but disappointing to Hempel, who had completed the distance in 9:07 earlier in the season.

“He ran some real fast races as a 10th-grader, but when you blow the big one, you always ask yourself why,” said Jim Polite, cross-country and distance-running coach at Walnut.

Fortunately for Hempel, he has not had many similar performances since then.

In cross-country, Hempel completed a brilliant season by winning the CIF state Division II individual title in 15:22 to lead Walnut to the team championship.

He has followed up his cross-country success with some fast early-season track times. He is listed No. 3 in the nation in the 3,000 meters (8:31.5) and the 2-mile (9:04.73) by USA Today and recently finished third behind the two national leaders, Ian Alsen of Granada Hills and Reggie Williams of West Sacramento, at the Arcadia Invitational in a swift time of 9:01.56.

Hempel said he is pointing toward a better performance in the Southern Section 2-A finals this time in May and thinks he is on schedule.

“Right now I feel great,” he said. “There have been no problems. I think it’s working out right, and I have faith in my coach (Polite) that he’s working me right and I’ll peak at the right time.”

“We’re pointing him toward gradual improvement, and that’s what he has been doing,” Polite said.

The coach said Hempel’s talent has never been a question in his development as a distance runner.

“He’s been pretty talented since his ninth-grade year,” Polite said. “In his sophomore year he had a lot of ability, but he just didn’t have any confidence. He has the confidence this year and a lot more maturity to go along with his success.”

This season, Polite said, Hempel is making progress toward becoming an even better runner.

“He knows how to pace himself this year,” Polite said. “He has the patience and experience that it takes to become a top-flight runner. He’s getting a lot out of his workouts and races, and he’s going to get a lot better in high school because of it.”

“I’m working more on sprints and I’m doing more 400 and 800 (meter) work,” Hempel said. “Last year I didn’t, and I think I’ve been getting more kicks at the end of the races.”

Polite said Hempel has also learned to stick with his race plan and not worry so much about his times. “He wants the good times, but he doesn’t tend to go for times and get preoccupied with that,” he said.

Hempel said it was different when he first competed for the Mustangs as a freshman.

“My freshman year I was not too bright of a runner,” he said. “I would just go for times. But he (Polite) taught me that I don’t have to try for times. I know I just have to run my race and my times will come.”

Hempel wasn’t exactly a stranger to distance running before he enrolled at Walnut. He said he started running when he was in the third grade.

“When I was in the third grade, they had a track on the field, and I kept running and getting better at it, and I liked it,” he said. “I also ran a lot in junior high, so I wasn’t just walking in from the street when I came here.”

Hempel also had the benefit of having a partner to train with. His twin brother, Matt, is also an excellent distance runner who competes for Walnut in track and cross-country and has produced a best of 9:30 in the 3,200 meters this season.

That is not as fast as Scott, but it is still among the top times in the valley in 1988.

Scott said there was a time when his brother was the stronger of the two. “Back in elementary school he used to be better than I was,” he said. “He’s had some problems, though.

“During the summer between ninth and tenth grade he got sick and lost a lot of fluids, and since then he hasn’t been the same. He’s still right up there. He’s always up there with me in practices, but in races I’m always in front.”

Come to think of it, that’s the way it has been for most of Hempel’s opponents this season.

“He can probably run with anyone in the nation right now,” Polite said. “He may not beat all of them, but he can at least be competitive.”

Hempel has run mostly longer distances in high school, although Polite thinks he has the potential to become an outstanding miler. But Hempel prefers the 3,200 meters.

“My coach thinks if I trained for the mile I could probably be a better miler, but I haven’t trained for it,” Hempel said. “I enjoy running the 2-mile, and I’ll probably stay with it.”

Whatever distance he runs, Polite thinks the 6-0, 135-pound Hempel can develop into a top college runner.

“I don’t know what his best event or distance is, but he’s a big, strong kid, and he’s only going to get better,” Polite said.

An above-average student, Hempel has already received numerous letters of inquiry from many of the top college track programs in the nation. “I’ve gotten a lot of letters, but I haven’t written back to any yet,” he said. “I’m still thinking of what I want to do.”

For the moment, Hempel is more concerned about preparing himself for the CIF finals in May.

“My race (the 2-A Division) doesn’t have as many fast people (as the higher divisions), so I’m going to have to run a good pace to make it to the Master’s (state qualifying) meet,” he said.

He has also learned what not to do this time.

“I definitely have learned not to go to the meet several hours before and just sit around,” he said. “I’ll never do that again. I’m also not going to forget my spikes.”