Clinton High School’s track teams will look to its throwers to have a big spring, head coach Cory Strahorn says.
“Both of our two boys and two girls that were on the podium last year all return this spring,” Strahorn says. “We also hope to return our boy 110 hurdler (Parker Adams) to state again, along with a few other athletes that can also make it to Ardmore.”
Kat Meacham, Clinton’s school record-holder in the shot put (37-7.75) returns for a promising junior year. She claimed gold in the discus at the state 5A meet as a freshman then was the only sophomore athlete to place in both the discus (3rd) and shot put (2nd) last year.
“Kat is the hardest worker on the team and has been to multiple indoor meets this winter to sharpen her skillset in the shot put,” Strahorn says. “She is a highly recruitable athlete that looks to throw once she is finished with her career in Clinton.”
Clinton’s girls team also returns senior Lola Hester, who placed sixth in the discus and qualified in the shot put last year.
Montiell Crane, who won the 4A discus championship as a sophomore last year (169-4), returns for his junior season and headlines Clinton’s boys team. Returning sophomore Wyatt Sawatzsky reached the podium with a fourth-place finish in the same event last year.
Strahorn expects Atticus Thompson, only a freshman, to make an immediate impact on his boys team. His 21-foot, one-inch jump at the Elgin junior high meet last year would have earned him a bronze medal in the 4A long jump championship last year – had he been old enough to compete.
Not only a talented jumper, Thompson also earned conference championships in the 200m, 400m and high jump last year. Altogether, Thompson holds six Clinton records regardless of age or gender, the most by any individual before running a single varsity race or event.
“He (Thompson) has high expectations of being a conference champion in multiple events as an upcoming freshman this spring,” Strahorn says. “An even better trait about Atticus is his work ethic and his attitude that trump his athletic ability.”
