Pictured: Mansfield’s Brooke Wright arrives at Harding University in Searcy to compete in the Arkansas Activities Association’s Meet of Champs discus event.
Brooke Wright, the do it all Lady Tiger, completed her Mansfield high school athletic career with a trip to Searcy’s Harding University for track and field’s exclusive Meet of Champions competition on May 15.
Wright, a highly decorated 3-sport star, was recently bestowed the prestigious T. Franklin Boyd Award as Mansfield’s top female athlete for the 2020-201 school year. She landed in the Arkansas Activities Association’s top-flight track competition based upon her winning the class 2A state discus competition on May 5 at Gurdon High School.
The Mansfield senior was among 16 state competitors across all classifications to be selected to join in the MOC discus event. All 6 state champions from each class and the next best 10 athletes based upon state measures were notified of their participation on Monday, May 10.
Wright accepted the challenge as an end to her high school track career and total high school athletic experience.
“The meet of champs is basically the All-Star event for track and field,” said longtime Mansfield coach John Mackey. “It’s not a popularity contest, and it doesn’t come down to a vote. You have to earn your invite. That’s what Brooke did. She set a goal of being the discus state champion and earned her way to the exclusive MOC club.”
Wright threw six times as all competitors were treated as finalists. It was her last attempt in the afternoon that pushed her over the 100-foot mark for the third meet this year. Her final mark was 100 feet 11 inches.
That MOC mark wasn’t quite as far as Wright’s state-winning personal record 104 feet 3 inches. It still however offered a glimpse as to why she was one of Mansfield’s top five throwers of all time.
“Brooke had a goal to be the champion as soon as the pandemic shut the season down a year ago,” explained Mackey. “She asked for a couple of discus to practice with at home in the pasture. Of course, I found a way for that to happen. You could tell she prepared for this moment.”
Wright will now focus her attention back on volleyball. She received an athletic scholarship to Iowa Lakes Community College in Estherville, Iowa to play next school year.
At Mansfield, the Lady Tiger shined winning the class 2A-State Most Valuable Player trophy while helping her team win the 2020 State Volleyball Championship.
She received All-Conference, All-District, All-State Tournament Team, and All-State honors multiple times throughout her outstanding volleyball career. She was selected after this season to represent the West Team at the AHSCA All-Star games. She was also named to the Best of Preps All-Area team.
For the past four years, Wright also played on the Lady Tiger senior high basketball team. This past season she earned All-Conference honors as the team advanced to the elite eight in state.
As past history has rewarded individual champions with distinction, most likely a spot on the Best of Preps All-Area Track and Field Team will be forthcoming for Wright to add to her acclaimed athletic career.
Finally, Wright ended her high school track career with 2 All-District awards, an All-State certificate, two Top-5 state finishes in the discus, an individual state championship in the discus, and a MOC Champs participation medal.
