Apr. 21—MITCHELL — Justin Greenway knows what it's like to wear a Kernel uniform and compete at Joe Quintal Field.
And it turns out he's a fast learner when it comes to coaching in the same venue, as well.
The former Mitchell High School standout sprinter is now helping the Kernels as an assistant coach, bringing his time in gold and black full circle to the same stadium and track where he put in countless hours as an MHS athlete.
"I love track. I did it in high school and college, and I moved back to town a couple of years ago and I've been looking for the right way to get involved," Greenway said. "Track is a good way to dip your toe into coaching as opposed to football or wrestling, I think."
Along with his twin brother Jason, the Greenway brothers had plenty of success in football and track and field at the Kernels' stadium until they graduated in 2012, including a state title in the 200-meter dash in 2011. They both went on to compete in those sports at Augustana University, as well, and Justin Greenway ranks in the top-10 on the Vikings' all-time track list in the 200-meter dash along with a handful of relays.
After college, Greenway worked for a while in the strength and conditioning and athletic training areas, holding those respective certifications. In August 2024, he moved back to Mitchell and began working part-time with Avera in athletic training. It was within that work that he was in the MHS Gym and Greenway was talking with MHS assistant track coach Eric Palmer about potentially helping with track.
When MHS head coach Deb Thill heard about Greenway's interest, she asked him about it and encouraged making it happen. She said he stepped in naturally.
"His knowledge is No. 1 and how he's relating it to kids to get them to understand why we do what we do is really good," Thill said. "He should be a teacher because he's really good at that. To make it applicable to what we're doing, it's the most important thing for us."
Greenway is the Kernel school record holder in the boys 400-meter run, with a record time of 49.27 seconds from 2010. He's second in school history alongside his brother in the 100-meter dash (10.7 seconds), only behind Lonnie Moody's record from 1999 (10.6), and he's third in the 200 (22.13).
If Greenway gets his way, that school record won't last the rest of this season. Current Kernel senior Alexier Padilla ranks No. 3 all-time in Kernel history in the boys 400 with a personal-best time of 49.61. Greenway said he'd be lucky if he could "ride his coattails" on the record as Padilla's coach when he takes down the MHS record.
"He's a very gifted runner and an exceptionally hard worker," Greenway said of Padilla. "It would be very cool if he could take down that record. I feel pretty good that he's going to do it. ... You don't see many of those records from 15 or 20 years ago hanging around and that's a testament to the training methods and the quality of athletes that are competing today at the high school level."
For MHS, Greenway primarily works with the sprinters but he also helps lead the warmup session that involves all athletes at the start of practice, which sets a baseline for the day's work to get the body moving, regardless of whether it involves running, jumping or throwing.
"There's nothing in track and field that doesn't require some sort of running or explosiveness," he said. "We're just trying to get a general warmup going at the beginning to get everybody ready, and then we split into our groups and we can get a little bit more refined from there."
He said he's found coaching to be as rewarding as he has hoped, particularly because he knows what it's like for track and field athletes to push themselves to new places, ranging from personal bests to qualifying for major meets.
"It's my favorite part of track and field. Yes, you're competing against other people but at the end of the day, you get to see your own progress," Greenway said. "In track, you always get the chance to practice and you get the chance to compete. You can always test your skills and set attainable goals and see that progress."
Greenway, 33, is currently working in the lab at Krall Eye Clinic as his regular job, which has given him the flexibility to help coach track in the afternoon.
"We've got a great group of kids," Greenway said. "They all work hard, which makes it really easy, I think. They're willing to work hard and do the things I ask. When you have a group that's willing to trust you, that really helps a lot."