Jack Stadlman never thought his athletic career would turn out like this.

He had a dim future in basketball, but he could run. Now he’s a runner, with a very bright future.

The Temecula Valley senior finished off his high school career last month by winning the 400 meters and finishing second in the 200 meters at the CIF State Championships, earning him IE Varsity Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year honors.

“It was a lot of hard work,” Stadlman said. “It’s like a dream. I’m going to be running in college (USC).”

Golden Bears sprint coach Desmond Lee saw the talent early on, but said Stadlman’s success is the result of more than that.

“It shows what happens when a kid commits to the process and he asks a lot of questions,” Lee said. “I told him after last year, ‘I’m going to make you an all-round sprinter.’ ”

Stadlman has come a long way since his first track and field season, which was only last spring. That year, he only ran the 400 meters once (in a dual meet), and while he advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 finals in the 200, he finished eighth and did not advance to Masters.

“He was heartbroken,” Lee said of Stadlman’s finish to his junior season. “I told him, ‘See how this feels? Use this. You’ll never have this feeling again in high school if you trust me and go to work.’ ”

Stadlman actually ran his PR in the 400 in the first meet of this season (45.69), the Saddle-Up Invitational at Vista Murrieta on March 1.

“Coming into this year, I thought I could run 10.2 (100 meters), 20.5 (200 meters),” Stadlman said. “I didn’t think I was going to be a 400-meter runner.”

In fact, Stadlman doesn’t like to run the 400, despite his success.

“It hurts a lot,” he said.

It might have been painful, but when he ran it, he won. A lot.

He also won the prestigious invitational heat at the Arcadia Invitational in April (45.92), he was crowned Southwestern League champion, CIF Southern Section Division 1 champion, and posted the top time at state prelims before winning the state title in 46.02 seconds, his third best time of the season.

“In my opinion, there is so much room to grow,” Stadlman said. “I could’ve run a 44 high, or a 45 low.”

He was not quite as dominant in running the 200, but peaked at the right time. He finished second in the invitational 200 at the Mt. SAC Relays (21.44), won the Southwestern League title, and was also second in CIF-SS Division 1. He posted his PR in the 200 at the state finals (20.82), finishing only .03 seconds behind winner Prince Najeeb Babalola-Buchango of San Francisco’s St. Ignatius.

Despite Stadlman beginning his high school athletic career on a basketball court, his success makes sense.

“In basketball practice, I liked racing people. That is always something I’ll remember,” Stadlman said. “I just never liked long-distance running.

“My favorite thing about track is that in basketball you can work hard and sometimes you don’t see results. In track you do.”

Lee could see Stadlman had the talent.

“I could see something in the kid. I saw it in him immediately,” Lee said. “He had really untapped speed. And that was not his best attribute. He has an engine.”

College coaches usually recruit track and field athletes in earnest during their junior seasons, but being new to the sport, Stadlman did not get that treatment last year.

“(College coaches told me) these are the numbers, if he hits those marks in his junior year (they are interested),” Lee said “(I told them) ‘I understand. But he’s fresh and new at it. He’s a sponge and he doesn’t have mileage on him. What you expected in his junior year, he’s going to do that and more his senior year.’ ”

Lee guaranteed it. And Stadlman delivered.