On the Up: Karsen Vesty stars on track and in the classroom

Former Havelock North High School student Karsen Vesty competing for Boston University at a track meet in the US. Photo / Boston University Athletics

Former Havelock North High School pupil Karsen Vesty has been named the top outdoor track and field Scholar-Athlete of the year in the United States Patriots League.

In his third year on a scholarship at Boston University and turning 21 next month, Vesty earned the recognition for his performances on the track and at study.

The award is given to one student each year from higher education facilities in the northeast.

Missing much of last season due to a stress fracture in his foot, Vesty has been in the best form of his career on the track, with personal bests at 800m, 1500m and the mile this year.

But he’s also flourished academically, majoring in mechanical engineering with a Grade Point Average in the US excellence range at 3.95.

He ran the mile in 4m 0.55s in Boston on February 14, now ranking him No 5 Kiwi this year and just a pip off becoming at least the seventh sub-four miler from Hawke’s Bay.

He then ran personal-bests in North Carolina on March 27, his 800m time of 1m 48.21s making him the No 2 Kiwi at the distance this year, and 3m 40.21s at 1500m, ranking him No 3, behind only Olympic Games runner Sam Tanner and World-best 15-year-old Sam Ruthe, both of Tauranga.

He also won a gold medal in the 4x800m and a 1500m silver at the Patriot League championships.

In his last year at high school in Hawke’s Bay in 2022, Vesty won the national Under 20 1500m, represented New Zealand at the World Junior championships, in a field highlighting New Zealand’s growing 1500m riches, and signed-off his national secondary schools championships career with wins in the 1500m, 3000m, and 4x400m.

He also claimed a scholarship in calculus, and the next year headed for the US where he joined the Boston University track and field team, and, in an announcement last week, was confirmed as one of five Academic All-Patriot League team members from Boston.

He told Hawke’s Bay Today his goals for the rest of the year were to qualify for the NCAA championships, in June, via the east regionals in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 28-31, and then possibly get some international running experience at the upper level.

He said he will probably “come home” before returning stateside to challenge the times needed to get into New Zealand teams, and ultimately the black singlet at the Los Angeles Olympics.

Jon Molz, Boston University head men’s and women’s cross country coach and assistant track and field coach, said it was remarkable to be named the Patriot League’s Men’s Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year as a sophomore.

“His prowess in the classroom is top-notch and he is the epitome of the term ‘student-athlete’,” Molz said.

“Karsen’s future is bright, and we couldn’t be happier to have him at Boston University.”

Vesty’s father, 1988 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games road cyclist Brendon Vesty, didn’t know of the latest honour until he saw it posted online.

“He’s quite confident....when he runs a good race he usually lets us know,” he said.

“He had a tough year last year, but he’s got talent, it’s a great opportunity to get a degree as well.”

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.