There is nothing new with WHS sending track and field athletes to the collegiate level. Each year, both girls and boys teams produce athletes who take their talents to the next level, incorporating all the different realms of track and field. In the recent 2025 graduating class, Charlie Vanecek, now a freshman at Muhlenberg College, took it in stride to take his talents to the next level. Despite Vanecek doing what he loves, he has noticed quite a change from high school to college.
In high school, lifts during the season and outside of the season are mostly optional, leaving athletes with the flexibility of incorporating them into their schedule. However, at Muhlenberg, working out is required. Vanecek said, “The biggest change in my training routine is when I lift. This season, we have been lifting twice a week, which was different from high school.”
Not only are lifts a main focus, but practices are more serious than high school. “I knew college training was going to be hard, but not this hard. Practices are long, and meets are intense. More is expected, too,” Vanecek explained.
In addition to his college athletic career, Vanecek has worked on maintaining a healthy social life, yet it has not been as easy as he might have thought. He said, “My social life has changed a ton. I try to make sure I do something with my friends most of the time, even if it’s just to get food. I try to hang out with my friends on the weekends too, especially when I do not have a meet.”
Even though Vanecek has dealt with some adversity while being at Muhlenberg, he has enjoyed the perks that being a college athlete brings. Specifically, Vanecek has been focusing more on his nutrition.
Vanecek said, “College running has changed my diet because I do not drink soda and have super greasy foods. Most of my meals nowadays include grilled chicken and rice.”
The complex technology and shared goal that all the athletes share have also helped Vanecek stay positive and successful in his short stint so far. He said, “There is definitely a shift in [style] because both the men’s and women’s teams work together, and with the technology the coaches are using to help us.”
In his first year, Vanecek has only participated in two events, one for hurdles and one for high jump, yet has not scored to his standards. However, his abilities shown in high school are destined to blossom at the next level at any moment. Just to name a few, while being a captain, in his high school career, he scored 2,821 points on a pentathlon, with a high jump of 5 feet and 6 inches and recorded 9.32 seconds in a 60-meter hurdle.
If he were to redo the college process all over again, he believes the best advice for someone looking to take their talent to the next level is to “reach out to as many coaches as you can during the recruiting process. It opens up tons of opportunities.”
As for the freshman star, he looks to gain some confidence in his next meet on Jan. 31 at Bucknell University.
