Bishop Union sophomore Wyatt Miears wrapped up an incredible track and field season this weekend at the California State Track & Field Championships held at Buchanan High School in Clovis.

 

For athletes from Bishop, simply getting to the State Meet is a challenge. Wyatt and his family/Coaches traveled approximately 825 miles round-trip to compete against California’s best. Athletes from across the state made long journeys to Clovis, with some traveling eight hours or more for the opportunity to compete on California’s biggest high school track and field stage.

 

The California State Track & Field Championships are widely considered one of the toughest and most prestigious state meets in the nation. With California producing some of the country’s top athletes every year, simply qualifying for the meet is a major accomplishment. This year’s championships brought together nearly 9,000 athletes, coaches, officials, and support staff from across the state.

 

Wyatt entered the boys discus competition as one of only 27 athletes in California to qualify for the State Championships.

 

Competition began Friday with the preliminary round. The 27 throwers were divided into three flights, and each athlete received three throws. Wyatt competed in the third flight and uncorked a throw of approximately 180’3″ feet, placing himself among the top competitors in the field. At the end of prelims, only the top 12 throwers advanced to Saturday’s finals, and Wyatt had secured his spot.

 

Saturday brought even more pressure.

 

The top 12 throwers returned for finals, with each athlete receiving three throws. After those three throws, only the top nine athletes would advance for three additional attempts.

 

Wyatt fouled on his first two throws, leaving everything riding on his final attempt. With his season on the line, he stepped into the ring and delivered a clutch throw of 184 feet, advancing into the final round and keeping his hopes of a state medal alive.

 

With three more throws remaining, Wyatt continued battling against some of the best throwers in California. Then, on his final throw of the competition, he delivered the biggest throw of his career—187 feet, 4 inches.

 

The throw broke his own Bishop Union school record of 185 feet, 10 inches and moved him into 5th place in the entire state of California, earning him a spot on the podium.

 

For a sophomore from a small school like Bishop Union, that’s a remarkable accomplishment.

 

Wyatt’s season included winning the CIF Division IV Championship, qualifying through the Central Section Masters Meet, advancing through State prelims, earning a place on the podium at the California State Championships, and finishing the year with a new school record.

 

The exciting part is that he’s only a sophomore.

 

Throwing 187 feet, 4 inches at this age puts Wyatt among the top returning discus throwers in California next season. There is still plenty of work to be done, and success is never guaranteed, but if he continues to develop, stay healthy, and put in the work during the offseason, he has a legitimate chance to compete for a top-three finish—or even challenge for a California State Championship—before his high school career comes to an end.

 

No matter what happens next, Wyatt has already put together one of the best discus seasons in Bishop Union history and represented Bishop proudly on one of the biggest stages in high school athletics.

 

But Wyatt’s season isn’t over yet.

 

Over the next three weeks, Wyatt will begin preparing for Nike Outdoor Nationals in Eugene, Oregon, one of the premier high school track and field competitions in the country. There, he will have the opportunity to compete against many of the nation’s best discus throwers and see how he stacks up on the national stage.

 

The experience gained from competing at both the California State Championships and Nationals will only help him continue to grow as an athlete heading into his junior year.

 

For now, Wyatt can look back on an outstanding sophomore season—one that included an 825-mile journey to the State Championships, a school-record throw of 187 feet, 4 inches, a 5th-place finish in California, and the opportunity to continue representing Bishop Union on the national stage.

 

Congratulations, Wyatt, on an unforgettable season.