Hunter Veith is part of the 2022 Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame induction class. The class will be inducted on Sat., Feb. 5.

Hunter Veith thrived on the discipline and the process that create success in college. The organization and determination that it takes to major in mechanical engineering translates to competing in the decathlon and heptathlon.

"He was definitely one of those people who made sure he was in bed by 8 p.m.," said Gavyn Veith, his wife and teammate on the Wichita State track and field team. "Made sure he got enough sleep. Made sure he drank enough water. Would be up the next morning. Rotate through that same routine."

Hunter Veith, a member of the 2022 class of the Wichita State Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, finished second in the 2018 NCAA heptathlon, sixth in the 2017 decathlon and ninth in the 2017 heptathlon. He ranks first on Wichita State's career list for the decathlon (8,046 points) and heptathlon (6,090 points) and won five Missouri Valley Conference titles.

"He does things right more than anybody I've ever been around," said Steve Rainbolt, director of track and field at Wichita State. "He had a wide variety of injury challenges. Somebody said 'Hunter, how do you always seem to work so well with the training room?' He said 'Well, I just do every single thing they tell me to do.'"

Veith, who competed at Wichita State from 2013-18, considered that attitude the most important part of his career. Excelling at the decathlon (10 events) and heptathlon (seven), while earning academic all-conference honors, requires that kind of dedication.

A knee and elbow injury cost him most of two of his five seasons as a Shocker. He worked through those setbacks, motivated by the knowledge he was close to special achievements.

"I gave it my everything," he said. "It was a job for me, it was a job I loved. I thought of it 24 hours a day. Nutrition, hydration, sleep. The college atmosphere is tempting. A lot of kids go out. Those are all negatives when it comes to track and field."

Veith, from Cheney, ran track and played basketball in high school. He came to Wichita State with experience in the sprints and jumps. To grow into an elite multi-event athlete, he learned to pole vault and master the hurdles.

"Very coachable," Rainbolt said. "He was tough, and you could tell there was strong opinions there, but he didn't push back against coaching. Always receptive."

Veith also considered listening to coaches part of his role.

"I felt like I was an extension of them," he said. "An athlete is there to be coached. I thought that was my duty. I didn't know more than them."

Gavyn (Yetter) Veith, who earned second-team NCAA All-American honors in the 2017 heptathlon, met her future husband during her sophomore year at Wichita State. As an athlete, he devoted his time to the techniques of his events. As a husband and father of six-month-old Grace, he continues to learn and build.

"If he starts a project, that is his No. 1 priority," Gavyn Veith said. "He's one of those people who goes to sleep and continues to think about it. He loves woodworking projects. He basically built every single piece of furniture in our house. He builds boxes for me in the weight room, barn doors in our house. He built a swing for the tree in our backyard. He loves doing things in that creative way."