The St. Peter’s cross-country team shares a message for head coach Jeff Niewedde prior to the Mill Race 5K on Sept. 28.
Submitted photo
The cross-country community in Columbus has drawn closer together in support of St. Peter’s Lutheran cross-country coach Jeff Niewedde.
On Sept. 21 while clearing trees on his property, Niewedde was involved in a serious tractor accident, sustaining multiple skull and facial fractures and injury to his brain and left eye. Niewedde was rushed by helicopter lifeline straight to St. Vincent’s in Indianapolis. After going through a long surgery and being in the trauma ICU for weeks, Niewedde will have a long road ahead to full recovery.
When Niewedde arrived at St. Vincent’s, surgeons reconstructed his face. The surgery took around 12 hours with many pins and plates in place. Julie Terry, Niewedde’s sister, mentioned that he will need two additional surgeries in the future when he’s better recovered to help with his eye.
Niewedde was in trauma ICU until Oct. 11, then he moved into a specialty hospital that deals with brain injuries. Terry said the facial bones are healing well, but it’s a waiting game on his brain to heal.
“He needs to be able to let his brain heal so that they can slowly bring him out of his sedation so that they can assess the brain injury,” Terry said.
Showing support
Members of the St. Peter’s, Central, Columbus East and Columbus North cross-country teams held a prayer vigil for St. Peters coach Jeff Niewedde at Mill Race Park.
Submitted photo
After hearing the news about Niewedde’s accident, the cross-country teams from Central Middle School, Columbus East, Columbus North, along with St. Peter’s gathered together for a prayer vigil at Mill Race Park and practiced together in support of Niewedde.
The Lions also showed additional support of Niewedde by running the 5K at last month’s Mill Race Marathon. They wore a special t-shirt during the 5K run.
“As the kids were starting hearing about it, the first thing we did was gather Monday after school in the sanctuary and pray for him,” St Peter’s assistant coach Carol Wettschurack said. “Then after that, parents and kids started coming up with ideas of wearing bands, special t-shirts, kids were making posters, we were making signs. They just immediately wanted to support him in any way that they could. There were a couple hundred people there at the vigil, which was pretty awesome just to have those teams come together.”
East boys cross-country coach Gabe Ocasio, a former runner at North, met Niewedde when he was a mentor for his senior project at the time. They created a 5K race called Pink Power 5K. They remained in touch over the years, and it was Niewedde that was one of the first to congratulate Ocasio when he was named the new boys cross-country coach for the Olympians last winter.
“It was huge just to see everyone come together. We all have a tie to him, or most of us have a tie to him here in running, but it goes beyond that with faith, and it goes beyond that with just him being a human,” Ocasio said. “He’s a great human. He’s so kind. Everybody only has positive things to say about him. It was real touching to see everybody come together. It wasn’t about any of us, it was all about thoughts for Jeff and we all happened to enjoy something that day that he would want us to enjoy.”
The East cross-country team had a fundraiser set up that helped with jersey, t-shirt and travel expenses, but when Niewedde’s accident happened, the funds were redirected to the Niewedde family.
“Jeff has always been supportive of the Columbus East. He’s always been supportive of me,” Ocasio said. “We kept in contact, so we figured, ‘Hey, he’s been supportive of us for so long and me for so long, that money is going to be more important to go toward him and his family.’”
Season to finish
The St. Peter’s cross-country team poses for a photo at the starting line prior to the start of the Mill Race 5K on Sept. 28.
Submitted photo
In the middle of all the support, St. Peter’s still had a few meets left to go. Instead of giving up on the season, it only made the team stronger.
The Lions did what Niewedde would have wanted them to do — run. They did just that as St. Peter’s won the Lutheran girls state middle school race at Trinity Lutheran on Oct. 5. The boys team finished runner-up in the event. The team ran in the same shirts that they wore when they ran the Mill Race 5K.
Both teams will compete in the National Lutheran Cross-Country Championships at Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin on Saturday.
Niewedde’s accident impacted the other schools during the state meet. Fathers from another team in the state meet cooked breakfast for everyone, with all of the proceeds going directly to the Niewedde family.
Even as they’re running and with them winding down the season, the thought of Niewedde still lingers on the kids’ minds.
With good reason, Niewedde always went above and beyond for the kids outside of running. He’d spend time having lunch or putting on special events that the kids would enjoy.
“Every time we practice, they are all praying for Jeff and asking about him. It’s definitely had an effect on them because they really, really like Jeff,” Wettschurack said. “Jeff has done a lot for them. He really wasn’t just their coach, he was a really good mentor for them.”
Recovery time
Jeff Niewedde, second from left, poses for a photo with his three sons, from left, Caleb, Keaton and Isaac.
Submitted photo
Terry said the doctors couldn’t give an exact timeline on Niewedde’s recovery since it is a brain injury. She added that since the brain injury is in the frontal lobe, the full recovery time could take longer.
Terry said after Niewedde’s stay in the specialty hospital, he’ll go to another acute care hospital and then a rehab hospital.
“He has quite a long road ahead of him,” Terry said.
The Niewedde family has started a gofundme page at gofundme.com/f/support-jeff-niewedde-and-his-family-on-his-road-to-recovery.
Terry added that anyone that wished to receive updates on Niewedde’s condition and recovery can do so at caringbridge.org/search and type in “Jeff Niewedde” in the search bar or click on the link at the bottom of the Niewedde’s gofundme page.
“I have just been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support. It’s been phenomenal,” Terry said. “We have several people wanting to in various ways. All of that is so greatly appreciated. I think he has no idea the impact he’s had on so many people.”
