Former Western Wayne distance running standout now stars at Misericordia
DALLAS TWP. — Madison Kammer faced a little bit of adversity as her senior year at Western Wayne wound down back in the spring of 2022.
A distance running phenom who dazzled in both cross country and track, Kammer discovered that she had some serious soul-searching to do before heading off to college.
“I came to Misericordia last year not really sure how I felt about running,” Madi said. “I had a rocky ending to my high school track career and was very nervous to see how I would perform at the NCAA level.”
As it turns out, whatever uncertainty Kammer may have experienced didn’t last long. The former Lady ‘Cat standout has risen to the occasion, emerging as a bona fide star for the Division III Cougars.
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Kammer just recently put the finishing touches on an outstanding cross country campaign, posting a Top 10 finish at the Middle Atlantic Conference championships and earning First Team All-MAC honors.
It was the type of performance longtime Misericordia coach Chris Wadas has come to expect from the talented sophomore.
“Madi was a huge part of our success this year,” the Hall of Fame skipper said. “I’m looking forward to watching her develop into an even better runner. The best is still around the corner for Madi.”
At the next level
Madi is the daughter of David and Lynn Kammer of Waymart. She graduated from Western Wayne in 2022 and is now a sophomore at Misericordia.
Kammer began her running career in the sixth grade. She competed in junior high cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams. By the time she reached high school, Kammer was beginning to establish herself as one of the region’s top runners
She finished 11th at districts as a sophomore, earned a berth on the Second Team Lackawanna League All-Stars, and qualified for states.
Kammer medaled again as a junior, placing 14th at the end of a pandemic-shortened campaign. She was also voted onto the First Team All-Stars.
That run of success continued all through Kammer’s senior season. One of the highlights of that final year came when she finished third in a field of 75 runners at the 2021 Lackawanna County Commissioners Invitational.
Kammer rode the momentum of that performance to another First Team All-Star selection. She also earned her third district medal and second trip to states.
“Madi was the cornerstone of our girls cross country and track teams at Western Wayne for years,” said longtime Wildcat coach Justin Collins. “It’s exciting, but not surprising, to see Madi excelling at the collegiate level.”
Following a 59th place showing at Hershey, Kammer shifted her focus to indoor track during the winter and outdoor track in the spring. The Lady ‘Cat standout then announced that she would be continuing her academic and athletic career at the next level.
“I ended up choosing Misericordia because of the atmosphere,” Madi said. “It’s close to home and my Mom is an alumna. Also I really enjoyed what Coach Wadas had to offer.”
Kammer immediately immersed herself in the collegiate experience, working hard in the classroom and on the track. Her major course of study is occupational therapy major with a minor in psychology.
Rising star
As a freshman, Kammer focused on carving out a niche for herself on the cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams.
All that hard work paid big dividends as Kammer then stepped up into a leadership role during her sophomore season … especially during cross country.
“Madi had a great fall,” Coach Wadas said. “She really developed into a different runner. Madi arrived in awesome shape. She’s a hard worker and very coachable.”
Expectations for the 2023 season were modest as the women’s team was predicted to finish no higher than third in the MAC. The Cougars had other ideas, though.
Thanks to a talented front five, Misericordia steadily climbed to the top of the standings. The team closed out its regular season surge with a triumphant performance at the MAC Championships.
Grace Gallagher led the way with a second place overall finish at the race, which was held Letterkenny Fields in Dallas. Bri Wagner sprinted home in fourth, while Katie Jones wound up seventh.
Kammer also cracked the Top 10, powering her way to eighth in a time of 24:32. For her efforts, Kammer was named First Team All-MAC and given an invitation to compete at the NCAA Mideast Regionals.
“The energy our girls had that day was like nothing I had experienced before,” said Madi who was the only member of her high school squad. “I never had a team to celebrate with in high school so that was a ton of fun!”
According to Coach Wadas, Kammer’s evolution into an elite runner makes perfect sense in the grand scheme of things.
“Madi is a very good runner, an awesome student, but an even better person,” he said. “She definitely knows how to compete, but Madi is also the kind of person who’s always thinking about the team.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Western Wayne grad Madi Kammer earns All-MAC honors in cross country
