Running on motivation fueled by a road to redemption from a disappointing ending last year, Childress standout Taylor Wiseman is making her final high school season count before she heads off to throw at the high-profile University of Oregon next spring.
Wiseman was the MVP when it came to Texas Panhandle athletes competing at the UIL Region I-3A track and field meet on the campus of Abilene Christian University on Friday and Saturday.
After winning UIL Class 3A state championships as a sophomore in the shot put and discus as a sophomore, Wiseman fell short as a junior during the regional meet last year failing to qualify in the shot put and barely got to state in the discus where she did get a silver medal.
Wiseman is throwing with a purpose this senior season and it showed Friday as she launched a 43-7 3/4 to win gold in the shot put and then left her mark on history tossing a 155-9 that set the new regional record to claim gold medal in the discus.
“It was a relieving feeling,” Wiseman said of her Friday performance. “I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I feel I failed last year when I didn’t make it to state in the shot put and I didn’t win state in the discus. I feel really good right now and I’m ready to go do something special at state before I move on to college. It was also meant a lot to set that regional record. It’s cool to see that in the future it’s my name people are chasing to break a record.”
Other than Wiseman, the Amarillo-area saw only more gold medal during the Region I-3A meet on both days. That honor belonged to Canadian’s Konnar McClendon. The outstanding distance runner was able to pull away from the field to win the gold medal in the 3200-meter race punching her ticket to state with a time of 11:17.46. McClendon wasn’t done there, adding a silver medal during Saturday’s 1600-meter run with a 5:12. McClendon is no stranger to the state track meet making her fourth straight trip to Austin. McClendon placed fifth in the 3200-meter race at the Class 3A state meet a year ago.
Joining McClendon at state is teammate Arionna Black and Cazlee Waite. Black took silver in the 800-meter run with a 2:16.95 and Waite cleared 5-4 to get a silver in the high jump. Friona’s Kitzy Welch placed second in the discus to qualify thanks to a 138-2, Dalhart’s Reese Jenkins brought home silver in the pole vault clearing 11-9
The Holliday Lady Eagles were the Region I-3A team champions with 94 points.
The boys side didn’t see a gold medal, but there were a handful of qualifiers. Canadian’s Camden Cook had a solid 400-meter race clocking a 48.65 to get on the silver medal stand and get a trip to Austin. Joining Cook is Dalhart’s Eli Garcia who went 14-9 for a silver in the pole vault and Colton Teichelman of Childress collected a silver medal in the discus event with a 149-3.
Bushland’s Slade Perry had a very solid day leaving with three bronze medals. Perry was on the sprint relay team that placed third (42.54), he then earned a bronze in the 100-meter dash at 11 seconds and ran a 22.08 in the 200-meter for another bronze. Perry did put himself in position for a wild card spot at the state meet.
Wall won the Region I-3A team championship with 154 points.
Check out the results
The top two competitors from each event qualified for the UIL Class 3A state track and field meet set for May 1-3 at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.
For a look at the full results from the Region I-3A meet, please visit https://live.athletic.net/meets/49434?_gl=1*q0tpem*_ga*OTU0NjQyNTcuMTc0MTAyMTI1Mw..*_ga_CV6QCFM8SJ*MTc0NDg5NjY1Mi4zNi4xLjE3NDQ4OTY2NTIuMC4wLjA